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Interstate Energy Company operates a dual-use pipeline, meaning it can transport oil or natural gas through the same lines. This allows PPL Generation to choose the most cost-effective fuel to operate its electricity generating facilities in Lower Mount Bethel Township, Pa. The Martins Creek power plant can use oil or natural gas and has a total capacity of about 1,670 megawatts. Adjacent to Martins Creek is PPL's Lower Mount Betherl plant, a 582 megawatt power plant fueled by natural gas.
Because of its dual use, Interstate Energy Company is regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration while transporting oil and Pennsylvania’s Public Utility Commission while transporting natural gas.
Interstate Energy Company’s 18-inch mainline was converted for dual use in 1996. The line delivers oil by pumping liquids from the Marcus Hook Pump Station near Philadelphia to the Martins Creek Terminal, which can store 1.9 million barrels of oil.
Once the storage tanks are filled to the desired capacity, the pumps at Marcus Hook are shut down. Nitrogen is then pumped into the pipeline to remove the residual oil out of the line to prepare it for natural gas delivery. | | 
The U.S. Department of Transportation requires pipeline operators to routinely assess the
integrity of their pipelines.
PPL Interstate Energy Company relies on sophisticated electronic equipment that travels through its 84-mile underground pipeline, looking for signs of damage on the inside or outside of the pipe.
This high-tech equipment is known in the pipeline business as a pig. The unglamorous name fits the appearance of the device, its method of travel (flowing along with the oil moving through the pipe) and its function (rooting through the pipe to check its
condition).
As the pig moves through the pipe, it constantly records information that can tell us the exact location of any problems. PPL Interstate Energy also has used pigs to inspect the pipeline for corrosion, cracking and damage resulting from unauthorized excavation
work.
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Interstate Energy Company, PPL’s oil and natural gas pipeline company, operates and maintains an 84-mile pipeline that transports oil and natural gas from Marcus Hook, Pa., south of Philadelphia, to PPL’s Martins Creek and Lower Mount Bethel power plants in Lower Mount Bethel Township, Pa.
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PPL Interstate Energy Company is committed to environmental protection. Our response
employees participate in annual drills and tabletop exercises with local spill response contractors.
We also maintain two spill response trailers at our Pottstown Maintenance Center. These trailers are supplied with booms, absorbent materials, personal protective equipment, hand tools and other materials necessary to handle an initial spill response.
In addition to ongoing training for environmental protection, PPL Interstate Energy Company employees are committed to industrial safety. The company has been certified by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration for Star status in its Voluntary Protection Program. As a VPP Star worksite, OSHA has recognized PPL Interstate Energy’s commitment to providing a safe workplace for its employees.
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The Martins Creek Environmental Preserve boasts five miles of wooded hiking trails with views of the middle Delaware River, which has been designated by Congress as a Wild and Scenic River.
Hikers can view the woodlands, geological formations and wildflowers found on the west bank of the river. The 215-acre environmental preserve borders PPL's Martins Creek and Lower Mount Bethel power plants and Interstate Energy Company. It's a prime example of how industry and nature can coexist.
To learn more about the preserve, click here.
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“The Nature Notebook,” a weekly radio feature by PPL senior naturalist Jon Beam, airs Sundays at 4:57 p.m. on WVIA, the National Public Radio affiliate serving northeastern and central Pennsylvania.
A joint venture between PPL and WVIA, “The Nature Notebook” series examines both subtle and obvious changes that occur in nature throughout the year.
Listen to “The Nature Notebook” on 89.9 FM in northeastern Pennsylvania, 94.3 FM in Stroudsburg, 99.3 FM in Allentown, 100.5 FM in Lewisburg, 105.7 FM in Sunbury, 99.7 FM in Mainesburg, 89.7 FM in Williamsport, 90.3 FM in Clarks Summit, 105.7 FM in Bethlehem and 94.9 FM in Pottsville.
Click here to access previous "The Nature Notebook" segments. | |
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We take safety very seriously at PPL IEC.
We recently achieved 500,000 employee hours without a lost-time accident. Because we only have 27 employees, it took 10 years to accomplish this.
The achievement is a reflection of our employees’ commitment to safety on the job each and every day. | |
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PPL is dedicated to strengthening the communities we serve. PPL and its employees
support many community and business organizations and are major contributors to the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley.
In addition, organizations ranging from the Belvidere Public Library to the Harmony Township Athletic Association have received contributions from PPL. It’s our way of supporting programs that help improve the quality of life for our neighbors and our employees in the communities along the Delaware River. | |
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