News Releases

This week’s heat wave has the potential to set a new record for peak demand for electricity for PPL Electric Utilities in central and eastern Pennsylvania. PPL Electric Utilities urges everyone to be mindful of how they use energy and take appropriate safety measures during this period of extreme heat and rising humidity, which is expected to be most severe on Friday.

“During this hot weather, we encourage our customers to pay special attention to the elderly, children and pets, who could be especially at risk for heat-related illness,” said David G. DeCampli, president of PPL Electric Utilities.

“We also urge those who do not have air conditioning at home to spend as much time as possible in air-conditioned locations during the warmest hours of the day,” DeCampli added. “We recognize that in this type of weather, air conditioning can be a lifesaver, not a luxury.”

DeCampli said the company works year-round to ensure it can deliver reliable service during such periods of peak demand and does not anticipate any problems with its power supply or handling the higher load on the delivery systems.

Demand for power is expected to rise each day this week, peaking on Thursday or Friday due to the oppressively hot weather conditions for the week. The peak demand each day is usually reached between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. – a period when demand is high from both commercial and residential customers. Peak demand will also be affected, in part, by how much overnight temperatures cool down or stay unusually high.

The company’s all-time peak demand for electricity during summer months is 7,557 megawatts, set Aug. 1, 2006. Demand Monday (7/18) peaked at an estimated 7,055 mw and could approach the company’s summer record late in the week. PPL Electric Utilities coordinates with the regional grid operators at the PJM Interconnection in Valley Forge, Pa., to ensure sufficient power supply and reliability on the electric system.

PPL Electric Utilities system operators are actively monitoring the system for reliability. Periods of peak demand require those operators to remain watchful over dynamic conditions of supply and demand to avoid any overloads on equipment. The utility also is planning to have extra field employees available during periods when weather could affect its electric system and service to customers.

PPL Electric Utilities offers these tips to help customers save energy and stay cool during hot weather:

• Keep window shades and blinds drawn to keep out the sun’s heat.
• Check the filter in your air-conditioning unit so it is clean for optimal air flow and efficiency. Also, keep air ducts around the house clean and uncovered.
• Use a programmable thermostat to control temperature settings, raising the setting a degree or two when no one is at home or the outside temperature rises above 90. Adjusting your thermostat by even one degree saves on cooling costs.
• Remember that window air conditioning units are designed to cool a single room. Keep doors closed and only use those units when the room is occupied.
• Only use lights as needed, since most lights give off a great deal of heat.
• Minimize use of heat-generating appliances such as dishwashers, ovens, stoves, washers and dryers during the warmest hours of the day. Use microwave ovens or outdoor grills to cook if possible. Hold off on using major appliances until the temperature cools down.

PPL Electric Utilities also encourages customers to explore their options for electricity supply on the competitive market. Competitive suppliers offer a variety of pricing and service options. Keep in mind, though, that switching to a different supplier may take time to process and is not an immediate cost-saving option during this week’s heat wave.

PPL Electric Utilities, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), provides electric delivery services to about 1.4 million customers in Pennsylvania and has consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. More information is available at www.pplelectric.com.

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Note to Editors: These photo opportunities can be coordinated:

• PPL Electric Utilities’ transmission and distribution control center near Allentown, Pa.
• PPL Electric Utilities utility workers in the field throughout our service area.