Stories about people and issues that power our lives
Most people couldn’t imagine starting their day without a cup of coffee. So, when customers Don and Robin Smith from Somerset, Kentucky, saw KU trucks outside their house, Don was worried the crews would shut off power before he could brew his morning cup of Joe.
Take a look through our memory book, recognizing some of the women of PPL who blazed new trails, shattered expectations and boldly stepped into new roles. Today and every day, we celebrate all of the women past and present who have contributed to the forward progress of PPL.
LG&E completed a long-term gas main replacement project reached in the heart of downtown Louisville in June 2017. The final stretch of work wrapped up an initiative that began back in 1996 when LG&E established a program to replace 540 miles of aging cast iron, wrought iron and bare steel natural gas pipelines, which are more vulnerable to degradation over time, with more durable plastic natural gas pipelines.
The way we generate, distribute and consume electricity is changing due to advances in technology affecting the entire energy system. Generation is becoming cleaner and more distributed. Networks are becoming smarter and more active. And customers are seeking more renewable energy sources and cleaner transportation options with private solar and electric vehicles on the rise.
The Keystone Solar Future Project is an example of the innovative thinking PPL Electric is using as new on-site generation technologies transform the utility environment. The project will set up a “distributed system platform” that leverages the company’s existing smart grid technology to plan for, monitor and control distributed energy resources such as solar panels.
Obando-Derstine was once a shy and quiet girl – a native Colombian and Spanish speaker in a New Jersey school filled with English-speaking students. A teacher took Obando-Derstine under her wing in kindergarten, boosting the girl’s confidence and teaching her English. That teacher and other role models along the way laid the foundation for the leader Obando-Derstine would eventually become.
PPL will host book fairs at participating Barnes & Noble locations March 24 as part of the company’s Cover to Cover initiative to share the joy of reading and help children sharpen their reading skills over the summer. Mention Cover to Cover when you check out March 24 at participating Barnes & Noble bookstores and a portion of the proceeds will help put books in the hands of children in grades K-3 who might not otherwise have books to read over the summer.
At PPL Electric, the premise is simple. First-quartile performance in safety, reliability, customer satisfaction and cost management is necessary for long-term sustainable success. “Achieving and maintaining first-quartile performance matters for a number of reasons,” said PPL Electric Utilities President Greg Dudkin. “We will control our own destiny and become a safer, more efficient and more responsive organization that is focused on our customers. Investors will view our company as a place where people deliver on their promises, and we’ll attract and retain talent to enable continued long-term success.”
Kristin Leayman shared her story during the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce’s LGBT Business Summit on March 6 at Moravian College in Bethlehem. PPL was one of many companies to sponsor the event, which was designed partly to instruct employers how to provide more inclusive workplaces for LGBT employees.
Residents in Puerto Rico are greeting workers from PPL Corporation’s utility companies with cheers and even hugs for their restoration efforts.