News Releases

From Ephrata south to Mt. Nebo, PPL Electric Utilities is at work upgrading power lines in Berks and Lancaster counties, modernizing equipment at local substations and making other improvements to its distribution system. About 15 projects, representing more than $12 million in infrastructure improvements, are under way to enhance service reliability for thousands of area customers.

PPL Electric Utilities is investing more this year to address aging infrastructure, strengthen its electric delivery system and improve reliability for customers, said Dana Ferber, operations director for the company’s Lancaster region.

“We understand our customers rely on us for dependable service. We’re working on projects that will improve operations and service reliability for our customers,” she said.

“Next time you notice a blue and white PPL Electric Utilities truck along area roads, chances are good that our crews and contractors are hard at work maintaining or improving the system that delivers power to area homes and businesses,” Ferber said. “Our local projects will help us meet increased demand in certain areas and reduce the impact of outages on local customers.”

Much of the distribution work involves installing new power lines to improve the performance of local circuits. The new lines are like opening roads that provide more alternate routes for electricity, allowing more opportunities to deliver power and restore service faster when outages occur. The new lines will be equipped with fuses, relays and automated switches.

Among the utility’s projects this year are upgrades at 11 local substations – in Morgantown and Sinking Spring, Berks County, and nine facilities in Lancaster County. Those nine are in Rapho Township, Mt. Joy, Lititz, Cocalico, Brecknock, Landisville, Ephrata, Neffsville and East Petersburg. The substations are hubs for local power delivery and vital for maintaining electric reliability.

Highlights include:

• Upgrading the company’s Neffsville and East Petersburg substations to increase their capacity to meet higher demand in the area and provide more flexibility to reroute power to limit the duration of power outages. The $3.3 million in investments will benefit more than 10,000 customers later this summer.
• Upgrading the conductor outside of the Mt. Joy substation in Rapho Township to meet increased demand and improve reliability for 3,800 customers. The project is expected to be completed next May.
• Upgrading the Lincoln substation in Ephrata that serves about 1,200 customers. The project is expected to be finished in August.
• Linking three area circuits in Pequea and Martic townships. This project will benefit 2,600 customers when completed in September.
• Building a new substation and power lines in West Cocalico Township to improve reliability for 3,200 customers. The project has begun and is expected to be finished next year.

Throughout the year, PPL Electric Utilities manages comprehensive maintenance and system improvement programs that include visual and thermal inspections of its lines, tree clearing around power lines, and installing animal guards and lightning protection to prevent service interruptions.

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