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Pennsylvania utility earns accolade for innovation in electric grid operation

ALLENTOWN, Pa., Aug. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PPL Electric Utilities is proud to announce it has been named POWER Magazine's 2022 Smart Grid Award winner for its work in creating and deploying an innovative and automated self-healing grid that improves overall reliability and reduces outages.

"Our groundbreaking use of technology has allowed us to blaze trails for the benefit of our customers," said PPL Electric Utilities President Steph Raymond. "The smart grid has been a tremendous tool to help keep the lights on for our customers. It's making our grid more reliable, and it's a major catalyst in building the utility of the future, today."

Knowing that the energy landscape was beginning to change, PPL Electric began implementing various innovations across its electric grid over the past decade with the goal of improving the safety and reliability of its power distribution network. Through a partnership with GE Digital, PPL Electric was able to apply GE's Advanced Distribution Management Solution (ADMS) software to its entire electric grid.

The new ADMS system also included a technology called Fault Isolation Service Restoration (FISR) which was achieved by deploying state-of-the-art sensors and switches across the grid that segment customers into smaller spans. If an outage occurs, FISR senses the problem and automatically reroutes power around the trouble spot to get most customers restored within seconds, keeping the outage contained without any human intervention and often without the customer even noticing.

PPL Electric was the first utility to centrally install FISR across its entire service territory to automate restorations. That network of smart devices, coupled with GE's advanced software system, has assisted PPL Electric in creating an autonomous, self-healing grid. In fact, since 2015, PPL Electric's smart grid has helped prevent more than 1.4 million customer outages. And, in 2021 alone, customers experienced 34% fewer outages compared to the average over the prior five years.

The smart grid is also improving data and analytics to bolster reliability. This data helps PPL Electric make more informed decisions about both maintenance and investments. The smart grid can also pinpoint issues, allowing for the dispatch of crews to an exact location, saving both time and money. Other benefits include a Distributed Energy Resource (DER) Management System that manages two-way power flow and advanced meters that enable customers to see usage.

Using industry-leading technology and innovation, PPL Electric has created a smart grid that is likely unrecognizable to utility workers of past generations. The smart grid, combined with other groundbreaking advancements, is helping PPL Electric continue to build the utility of the future, today. For more information on what PPL Electric is doing to innovate and improve grid reliability, visit pplelectric.com/reliability.

The POWER Smart Grid Award has been handed out since 2011 and recognizes outstanding smart grid projects, throughout the world, that demonstrate the benefits of new data-rich technologies to power generators, distribution utilities, and customers. For more information about the award, as well as previous winners, visit powermag.com/power-awards.

PPL Electric Utilities delivers safe, reliable and affordable electricity to more than 1.4 million homes and businesses in eastern and central Pennsylvania. It regularly ranks among the country's best utility companies for reliability and customer satisfaction. PPL Electric Utilities is a major employer and an active supporter of the communities it serves. It is a part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies. Visit pplelectric.com or connect on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for energy efficiency tips, bill help information, guidance on shopping for an electricity supplier, storm updates and more.

POWER has been known as a magazine for many years but has evolved to a trusted brand that includes publications, trade events and conferences, as well as electronic media. In all its formats, POWER provides important business operations, legal and regulatory news as well as operations and maintenance information, for the power industry. Through POWER, industry professionals learn about best practices, safety issues, improved productivity, and more. To learn more about POWER, visit their website at powermag.com.

Note to Editors: Visit our media website at www.pplnewsroom.com for additional news and background about PPL Corporation.

SOURCE PPL Electric Utilities