For the sixth consecutive year, PPL Electric Utilities has ranked highest among utilities in the eastern United States in J.D. Power and Associates' annual study of residential customer satisfaction.

The company has earned the award seven of the eight years it has been given. The company also has received five J.D. Power and Associates awards for business customer satisfaction since 2000.

"We're honored that our customers have expressed their confidence in us," said John F. Sipics, president of PPL Electric Utilities. "We know how important good customer service and reliability are to our customers.

"That's why we invest continuously in our distribution system, and it's why we hire and keep people who care about the job they do for our customers."

Sipics said independent studies such as the J.D. Power and Associates study and the company's own quarterly research help PPL Electric Utilities identify ways to improve its service to customers even further. He said understanding and meeting customers' expectations help the company remain successful.

In its 2006 study, J.D. Power and Associates interviewed more than 26,600 people served by 76 utilities across the nation. PPL Electric Utilities tied with Allegheny Power for highest in the East among 14 utilities.

PPL Electric Utilities Corporation is a subsidiary of PPL Corporation and provides electricity delivery services to about 1.4 million customers in 29 Pennsylvania counties.

Headquartered in Allentown, Pa., PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) controls about 11,500 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets and delivers electricity to more than 5 million customers in Pennsylvania, the United Kingdom and Latin America.