Stories about people and issues that power our lives
Students in Easton High School’s (EHS) Technology Student Association (TSA) built Bella, a fully functioning robot that picks up rings, balls and other items at the beck and call of a student programmer. The students competed with Bella at the 2017 Pennsylvania state TSA competition in April and earned a top-10 finish in the robotics division.
Like most middle school students, the kids in the Motorsports Engineering Club at Lower Macungie Middle School (LMMS) like playing soccer, hanging with friends and, you know, building cars.
Even though Abby Delserone grew up in a family of utility workers — her cousin, uncle and grandfather all worked in the power industry — an engineering career wasn’t always on her radar. “I was originally applying to colleges as a psychology major,” she said. “I really didn’t have much exposure to STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) careers. I wish I would’ve had a broader sense of career opportunities in high school.”
As part of her role as a senior talent management consultant, Sue Drabic rolls out the welcome mat for Pennsylvania-based PPL employees. Drabic and other members of the Human Resources team host new employee orientation, where they spend time teaching the values and vision of PPL.
Scott Straight is pretty proud — and for good reason. In 2016, the then director of Project Engineering at LG&E and KU oversaw the final stages of a multi-year, $2.8 billion construction project to add environmental controls to four of the company’s coal-fired power plants to further reduce emissions and improve operations.
Everyone can agree that losing power is an unwelcome disruption. Life is less comfortable when you can’t watch TV and there’s no hot water for a warm shower. But if you are a vulnerable customer, a loss of power can be more than just an inconvenience. You may not have the money to replace the groceries that spoil during a lengthy outage. Or you may face a serious medical crisis if you rely on electricity to keep a heart monitor or oxygen machine operating.
PPL Electric has invested more than $132 million in automation technology. It’s an investment that has truly paid off. Thanks to its extensive use of smart grid technology, the utility’s distribution system has become one of the most reliable in the country.
To help the birds and ensure their customers continue to have excellent and reliable service, PPL Electric, LG&E and KU, and WPD have all installed platforms in their service territories to provide safe locations for ospreys to nest. It’s part of the company’s continued commitment to conservation.
It’s full speed ahead for the U.K.’s electric vehicle market, and PPL’s Western Power Distribution team is helping to pave the way. WPD Innovation Engineer Mark Dale wants his utility to be ready for the resulting electricity demand by taking a proactive approach and preventing any potential speed bumps.
PPL redefines diversity during Celebrate Diversity Month. Diversity is a word often talked about with respect to our communities and workplaces — but what does it mean?