Last year, more than 1,100 customers lost power when a tree in the Harrisburg area knocked down a wire, creating potential hazards to anyone close to it. But a new system being used by PPL Electric Utilities detected the downed line and automatically powered it off.
Category: Innovation
Engineers’ curiosity, creativity fuels the design of tomorrow’s energy grid
It’s National Engineers Week, a time to recognize the engineers who continue to help PPL meet the demands of the evolving energy landscape.
Connecting with customers in the digital age
From outage texting and customized bill reminders to the availability of near-real-time energy usage and live chats, PPL companies have introduced tools that create a personalized experience for customers – giving credence to the old adage, “knowledge is power,” and building trust along the way.
Virtual and augmented reality point to real-world advances for PPL Electric Utilities
When Devraj Banerjee dons virtual reality headgear in a room at PPL’s headquarters in downtown Allentown, it covers his eyes, but his view of the job at hand is expanded like never before.
Customers seeing benefits from distribution automation
LG&E’s and KU’s investments in distribution automation have helped prevent more than 16,000 electric service interruptions for customers
New research is helping us prepare for a changing energy future
We are exploring the power of solar energy, battery storage and new technology to help us prepare, innovate and be ready for the demands of tomorrow’s energy grid.
Today’s STEM students could be tomorrow’s utility leaders
Nov. 8 is National STEM Day, but at PPL we’re working year-round to support educators who are helping their students advance in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.
Natural gas line upgrades ahead of the curve
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.
Innovative project positions PPL Electric as a provider in the grid of the future
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.
Measuring progress: PPL Electric’s first-quartile campaign
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.”