Stories about people and issues that power our lives
Maybe it’s the quiet energy of the forest, or the song of the golden-winged warbler, or even the stillness of the pristine 52-acre glacial lake that appeals to the hundreds of visitors who come to Lacawac Sanctuary each year. No matter why they come, all visitors leave with a profound appreciation for nature and all its wonder.
PPL Electric Utilities found a new use for old and broken utility poles that will keep an estimated 1,600 tons of wooden waste out of landfills every year.
Crews from PPL’s operating utilities are often called to help restore power in other regions, and under their mutual assistance agreements, can call in help from other utilities when it is needed.
The common thread to PPL Electric’s continued success has been an increasingly constructive workplace culture. In recent years, the company has built a culture that nurtures an atmosphere of employee engagement and accountability, with employees providing and accepting feedback as they focus on achieving exceptional results
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.
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.
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.”
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.”