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Unit 2 at PPL's Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Luzerne County, Pa., began generating electricity again on Wednesday (10/18) after a planned maintenance outage to improve the operation of the rods used to control the nuclear reaction.

"The work we've done will reduce friction between some of the 185 control rods and the fuel bundles that surround them," said Robert A. Saccone, vice president of Nuclear Operations for PPL Susquehanna.

The planned outage was part of a comprehensive effort by PPL to address the friction issue, which is not unique to the Susquehanna plant, he said. Other nuclear power plants have experienced the problem as well.

Control rods, which can be inserted between the fuel bundles, are used to speed up, slow down or stop the nuclear reaction.

During the outage, plant workers completed other maintenance items to enhance the long-term reliability of Susquehanna Unit 2.

PPL scheduled the outage, which lasted two and a half weeks, for this time of year, when electricity use is lower than in the summer or winter.

The Susquehanna plant, located about seven miles north of Berwick, is jointly owned by PPL Susquehanna LLC and Allegheny Electric Cooperative, and is operated by PPL Susquehanna.

PPL Susquehanna is one of PPL Corporation's generating facilities. Headquartered in Allentown, Pa., PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) controls about 11,500 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets and delivers electricity to nearly 5 million customers in Pennsylvania, the United Kingdom and Latin America. More information is available at www.pplweb.com .

SOURCE: PPL Corporation

CONTACT: Lou Ramos of PPL Corporation, +1-570-759-2285

Web site: http://www.pplweb.com/
http://www.pplnewsroom.com/