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You depend on us. we deliver.

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YOU DEPEND ON US. WE DELIVER.

JANUARY 2020

Downtown Allentown with PPL headquarters building, circa 1930.

Cover photo: Downtown Allentown with PPL headquarters building, circa 1930.

COVER STORY

Celebrating a century of reliability and innovation

You rely on PPL Electric Utilities to deliver the electricity that powers your lives and businesses. Since our founding in 1920 we’ve taken that responsibility seriously. PPL has been focused on keeping the lights on for you. We’ve worked to stay on the leading edge of the utility industry, innovating and improving our electric grid to provide safe, reliable electricity across our service territory.

Now, as we celebrate our centennial, we remain one of the most reliable utilities in the country.

  • Each year, we invest in our delivery system. We’re continuously performing proactive maintenance, replacing aging equipment and developing solutions to safeguard the grid. As a result of that work, overall power outages are down 30% compared to 2011.
  • We have more than 5,300 miles of transmission lines. Since 2013, through investments and innovation, we’ve reduced transmission outages by 75%, and we’ve decreased transmission outages caused by lightning by 67%.
  • For the past three years, our customers had electricity 99.99% of the time. This performance – along with our commitments to customer service, safety and our communities – has helped us earn eight consecutive J.D. Power residential customer satisfaction awards for large electric utilities in the eastern U.S.

A century of work by thousands of dedicated PPL employees has gotten us to this point, but we have much more to do. We’re evolving to meet the changing needs of our customers and to shape the reliable utility of the future. We’re making the grid smarter, safer and better equipped to handle the next generation of renewable energy. Plus, we’ve embarked upon a digital transformation that will revolutionize the way we engage with our customers in the years to come.

The utility industry is changing fast, but our commitment to providing reliable electricity remains unchanged. We delivered in 1920, we deliver in 2020, and we’re committed to delivering for you long into the future.

Thank you for allowing us to serve you every day. We look forward to celebrating our 100th anniversary with you throughout the year.

Greg Dudkin
President, PPL Electric Utilities

PPL takes home industry honor for advances in reliability

PPL Electric Utilities consistently ranks among industry leaders in the reliability of the electricity we provide. Recently, we were honored to be named a recipient of the 2019 ReliabilityOne™ Most Improved Utility Award.

The award is presented by industry group PA Consulting to utility companies that have shown notable improvements in their efforts to keep the power on.

The recognition comes following our decade-long investment in improving the power grid throughout our service territory. Over that time, we’ve replaced aging infrastructure, built new power lines and substations to improve resiliency, implemented smart grid technology and much more.

illustration of Pennsylvania made out of hearts with the hearts over the PPL territory in pink

PPL Foundation provides more than $3 million in community contributions in 2019

At PPL, we’re not just committed to powering our communities with reliable electricity, we’re also committed to empowering our communities through a combination of direct support, assistance programs, volunteerism and education.

In December, the PPL Foundation awarded more than $575,000 in funding to support 13 nonprofit organizations working to improve the lives and well-being of individuals throughout central and eastern Pennsylvania.

In addition to the major grants announced last month, the PPL Foundation also awarded $450,000 in sustaining grants to more than 70 community organizations and contributed more than $2 million to local United Way organizations in 2019. In all, the PPL Foundation provided more than $3 million in community contributions last year.

For a list of the nonprofit organizations that received major grants — and to learn more about PPL’s commitment to our community — visit stories.pplelectric.com.

Building Maintenance: Get Energy Smart

Lighting and HVAC systems account for more than 70% of energy use in commercial buildings, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Preventive maintenance will not only improve the energy efficiency of these systems, it'll also increase equipment service life and reliability, which can significantly reduce your operating costs. Here are some best practices:

Lighting

  • Clean the dust off fixtures, lamps and lenses every 6 to 12 months. Fixtures can lose up to 20% of light output from this dust.
  • Clean or repaint small rooms every year, and larger rooms every two to three years. Dirt collects on surfaces, which reduces the amount of light they reflect.
  • Replace lights in groups. Lamps can lose up to 30% of light output over their service lives. Group replacement saves labor and helps keep illumination levels high.

HVAC systems

  • Hire a qualified professional to clean and inspect your HVAC system at least once a year.
  • Inspect seals, valves, pipe joints and instrumentation for leaks and make repairs when needed.
  • Check gauges and other instrumentation to ensure they're in line with building maintenance policies or manufacturers'recommendations.

Follow these practices to reduce energy use and keep your employees, customers and visitors comfortable throughout the year.

Source: Questline

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