News Releases

For the past six days, PPL Electric Utilities has been getting ready for Hurricane Isabel. With the storm now heading toward Pennsylvania, the company is turning preparations into action.

More than 1,000 linemen, electricians, contracted help and trained damaged assessors are ready to respond, said John F. Sipics, president of PPL Electric Utilities. Backing them are several hundred technical, logistical and administrative support people to assist field crews, handle community needs, answer calls from customers and make calls to customers.

The major threats from Isabel to the electric delivery system are gusty winds that can cause large tree limbs to blow into wires, lightning strikes, and heavy rain on already saturated ground that could weaken trees and cause them to fall.

"We prune trees constantly within the power line right of way to minimize outages, but a storm of Isabel's strength can topple large trees outside of the trimming zone, causing them to fall into our wires," Sipics noted.

If power outages occur because of Isabel, here is important information for customers of PPL Electric Utilities:

  -- Call to report outages around the clock.  The toll-free number is
     800-342-5775 (800 DIAL PPL).  Customers may want to write the number
     down and keep it by the phone in case they need it.
  -- PPL Electric Utilities will have additional people answering phones
     after hours.  If there are a lot of outages, the phone lines will be
     busy.  Keep trying if you don't get through the first time.
  -- The quickest way to report an outage is through PPL Electric Utilities'
     automated system.  You don't have to wait to talk to a service
     representative.
  -- Prepare for the possibility of power outages by having emergency
     supplies on hand.  Include flashlights, a battery-powered radio, a
     battery-powered clock, fresh batteries, a manual can opener, drinking
     water and a food that does not need to be cooked.
  -- If your power is out, you can help the restoration process by turning
     off or unplugging appliances you don't need.  It is easier to
     re-energize power lines if electricity use is minimal when we put the
     lines back in service.
  -- If you own a portable generator, please follow the manufacturer's
     instructions.  If not set up properly, a portable generator can back-
     feed current through outside power lines, endangering workers and the
     public.
  -- If you see a wire on the ground, stay away.  Do not try to touch or
     move it, even if it appears to be "dead."  Call 911 or PPL Electric
     Utilities immediately.  Conditions that jeopardize public safety are
     given the highest priority for response.
  -- If your basement is flooded, do not touch the main electrical panel.
     If the electrical panel is covered by floodwater, you must have
     approval from a certified electrical inspector before PPL Electric
     Utilities will reconnect your service.

PPL Electric Utilities, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation, delivers electricity to 1.3 million customers in 29 counties of eastern and central Pennsylvania.

PPL Corporation, headquartered in Allentown, Pa., controls about 11,500 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets and delivers electricity to customers in Pennsylvania, the United Kingdom and Latin America.

SOURCE: PPL Electric Utilities

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

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