(January 6, 2005, 10 p.m.)

Situation: PPL Electric Utilities has moved more than 60 line and electrical crews from Harrisburg, Lancaster, Allentown, Bethlehem and Bucks and Montgomery counties to northeastern Pennsylvania areas devastated by today's ice storm. They are supplementing the local crews who serve Schuylkill, Carbon, Luzerne and Monroe counties.

PPL Electric Utilities has requested and received help from contractors and two neighboring utilities: PECO Energy and Orange & Rockland Utilities.

Employees of PPL Electric Utilities have been calling customers in the hardest hit areas to let them know when they can expect to have their power restored, find out if they have special needs, and inform them of special services the company is offering. We are telling customers without power where they can get, at no charge, drinking water and ice to help preserve food.

We continue to cooperate with emergency management agencies in the affected counties to meet community needs.

Customers Restored: 42,000 since 9 a.m. Thursday

Customers Without Power: 80,000 as of 9 p.m. Thursday

Affected Areas: Schuylkill, Carbon, Luzerne and Monroe counties

Number of Jobs Pending: 450 as of 9 p.m. Thursday

Cause of Outages: Ice build-up on trees and power lines.

Est. Restoration Time: In the Pocono area (Monroe County), customers are expected to be back in service by Friday night (1/7).

In Carbon, Luzerne and Schuylkill counties, customers are expected to be back in service by early Saturday (1/8).

Many customers will have power back sooner as crews complete jobs through the day and evening on Friday.

Additional Information: PPL Electric Utilities gives highest priority to jobs that affect public safety: fires, accidents, downed wires and power outages affecting hospitals, 911 centers and other facilities essential to the public health and safety.

Our objective is always to restore power to the greatest number of customers in the least amount of time, so we assign priority to jobs based on the number of people affected.

Wires may on the ground in areas affected by the ice storm. For safety, stay far away from any wires, even if they appear to be "dead." Do not try to drive your vehicle across downed wires. Call PPL Electric Utilities immediately at 1-800-342-5775.

Customers who are without power should call PPL Electric Utilities' toll free number at 1-800-342-5775.

During storm emergencies, reporters can view updated PPL Electric Utilities storm information by visiting our news Web site at www.pplnewsroom.com. The StormAlert feature provides system-wide and regional information.