News Releases

PPL Electric Utilities is ready to respond to power outages that may occur from this winter’s latest blast of predicted snow and wind.

The company announced Thursday (2/25) that it is closely tracking the storm and has all of its available resources ready to go. 

“We know how much our customers count on us for electricity, and we have some of the best linemen and support personnel in the business ready to respond,” said David Bonenberger, director of Operations for PPL Electric Utilities.

“They’re used to battling snow, wind and ice to get the lights back on for our customers,” he said. “With this storm, we are particularly concerned about the potential for a damaging combination of heavy, wet snow and high winds, which can down trees, branches and power lines. If problems develop, we’ll bring all of our resources to bear, and we’ll keep at it until the job is done.”

Bonenberger said crews have packed overnight bags and prepared for 16-hours shifts. Trucks are fueled and stocked. Contractors brought in to assist with repairs and tree clearing are ready to assist.

He said customers who experience problems should report outages by calling 1-800-342-5775 or visiting the company’s Outage Center online at www.pplelectric.com. Customers should immediately report emergencies, like downed power lines, by calling 1-800-DIAL-PPL.

“We want everyone to stay safe during the storm,” Bonenberger said.

He offered the following tips for customers who experience an outage:

• Never run a generator in your home, basement or other indoor space where exhaust fumes may accumulate.
• Stay clear of downed power lines.
• Do not use gas ovens or ranges to heat your home.
• Turn off electric ovens, ranges or space heaters that may have been in use when the outage occurred.
• Avoid candles and use flashlights instead. Candles can cause a fire if tipped by animals or people, or if they come in contact with a combustible item.

Bonenberger said the company’s first priority in responding to outages is supporting firefighters, police and critical public safety facilities, like hospitals. He said efforts then focus on high-priority repairs to major power lines and substations that serve large numbers of customers. The company then focuses on problems affecting small numbers of customers or individual homes.

PPL Electric Utilities serves customers in 29 counties of eastern and central Pennsylvania. The company expects the worst of the storm to hit northeastern Pennsylvania. Bonenberger said the company will be prepared to shift extra crews to hard-hit areas if damage is minimal in other areas of its service territory.

For periodic updates from PPL Electric Utilities, follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pplstormteam.

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