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PPL Electric Utilities has received the 2004 Economic Development Partner of the Year award from the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association.

The award, presented at the association's annual spring conference April 4-6, recognizes the company's ongoing support of economic development initiatives in the 46 Pennsylvania counties served by PPL Electric Utilities and PPL Gas Utilities.

"We are proud to receive this award. PPL is committed to partnering with nonprofit organizations to attract and retain businesses that add jobs and strengthen the communities served by our electric and natural gas companies," said Donald M. Bernhard, manager of Community and Economic Development for PPL Electric Utilities.

"PPL's approach to economic development is to help our allies make the best use of their capabilities and leverage their resources," said Bernhard.

In selecting PPL Electric Utilities as its Partner of the Year, the association specifically recognized the company's assistance to economic development organizations in such areas as professional development, feasibility studies and marketing.

For example, PPL Electric Utilities provides hands-on technical assistance to help organizations develop Internet sites to market their regions. The company also maintains a searchable database of available industrial and office properties and demographic information about its service area at http://www.ppleconomicdevelopment.com/.

"One of the most effective ways we help partners is through the value added by PPL's economic development staff," Bernhard said. "Our regional community relations directors serve as leaders of local and regional economic development organizations. And we are the only utility in Pennsylvania to have a staff professional certified by the International Economic Development Council."

In nominating PPL for the Partner of the Year award, Jim Cummings, president of Penn's Northeast, a partnership of public and private economic development agencies in Northeastern Pennsylvania, said, "My own organization, Penn's Northeast, would not exist today were it not for the vision and dogged determination of PPL Electric Utilities. For the past 10 years, PPL has helped shape Penn's Northeast into an award-winning regional marketing organization."

PPL Electric Utilities serves 1.3 million customers in 29 counties of eastern and central Pennsylvania. PPL Gas Utilities serves 76,000 customers in parts of 34 counties across Pennsylvania.

PPL Electric Utilities Corporation and PPL Gas Utilities Corporation are subsidiaries of PPL Corporation. Headquartered in Allentown, Pa., PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) controls more than 12,000 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 http://www.pplweb.com/.

SOURCE: PPL Electric Utilities

CONTACT: George Lewis, PPL Corporation, +1-610-774-5997, Fax:
+1-610-774-5281

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