PP&L Resources, Inc., added another foreign exchange agreement to its growing worldwide business interests Monday (7/22) with the signing of an information partnership between Pennsylvania Power & Light Co. and the Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Board of India.

Pennsylvania Power & Light Co., the electric utility subsidiary of PP&L Resources, has two other technology and information exchange agreements, one in Japan and one in Ukraine.

Through foreign exchange agreements and investments in worldwide power projects, PP&L Resources is growing from a U.S. regional supplier of electricity to a more broadly based energy company -- without losing its focus on providing quality service to its local electric customers.

Under the agreement signed at the Indian embassy in Washington, D.C., PP&L and Andhra Pradesh will share business practices and technical information. PP&L will help Andhra Pradesh plan to serve an expanding customer base and meet skyrocketing electricity demand, while Andhra Pradesh will provide information on overseas business structure, and on doing business in India.

"We're honored to have been selected for this valuable partnership opportunity," said William F. Hecht, chairman, president and chief executive officer of PP&L Resources.

The partnership was arranged jointly by the United States Energy Association and the U.S. Agency for International Development, a federal agency that administers economic and humanitarian assistance to foreign countries.

PP&L also has exchange agreements with Kievenergo, one of 27 regional electric distribution companies in Ukraine, and with Chugoku Electric Power Co. of Hiroshima, Japan.

In addition to the utility's exchange agreements, PP&L Resources is expanding its presence in the world energy market through its subsidiary, Power Markets Development Co.

PMDC has investments and commitments in Great Britain, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Spain and Portugal.

PMDC also is part of a consortium of companies including BBI Power, Illinova Generating Co. and Continental Energy Services Inc. that is pursuing development of a 500,000-kilowatt power plant at Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Electricity generated by that project would be sold to the Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Board.