Jun 20, 2024 | Environment
Bees buzzed from flower to flower while butterflies and moths gently floated from one plant to another on a recent sunny day within PPL Electric Utilities’ transmission line corridor that crosses Lancaster Conservancy’s Kellys Run Preserve. The thriving habitat, which was alive with blooms of frost aster, bull thistle, milkweed and sunflowers, was part of a collaborative effort between PPL Electric and Lancaster Conservancy to expand the preserve’s pollinator park and benefit a wide array of pollinator species.
The 460-acre preserve, one of 50 Lancaster Conservancy manages, began restoration efforts to turn 12 acres of the preserve into a pollinator park in 2021. And, while PPL Electric was working on a rebuild of a nearly century-old transmission line that runs through the preserve that same year, the utility took the opportunity to help expand the Conservancy’s pollinator meadows into the company’s right-of-way area under the power lines by nearly two and a half acres.
“This collaborative approach [between PPL Electric and Lancaster Conservancy] has proven fruitful at both Safe Harbor and Kellys Run nature preserves,” said Avery Van Etten of Lancaster Conservancy. “Conservancy-led habitat restoration projects were designed in consideration of PPL Electric needs, while the replacement of PPL Electric transmission infrastructure within the project area was approached in a manner considerate of the active restoration projects on Conservancy preserves.”
The continued collaboration is a win-win as both organizations are invested in protecting and enhancing the natural environment. In addition to helping the VIPs (very important pollinators), the pollinator-friendly plants can help to save PPL Electric costs by requiring less vegetation management and treatment within the power line corridor. Plus, the lower-profile plants also have the benefit of providing enhanced visibility when it’s time to inspect those power lines. By using the right mix of native plants within its right-of-way areas, PPL Electric can enhance the environment while improving reliability and lowering costs.
“From the collaborative approach to different project needs, to everyday activities such as invasive species management by Lancaster Conservancy and vegetation management work being performed by PPL Electric and its contractors, enhanced communication over the past five years has helped continue to build a working relationship between Lancaster Conservancy and PPL Electric,” added Van Etten.
It’s no secret that pollinators are a key piece of the puzzle when it comes to the environment and human life. In fact, according to the USDA, more than 150 common food crops in the US depend on pollinators including almost all fruit and grain crops.
“Flowering plants assist in carbon sequestration and produce the oxygen we breathe,” said Van Etten. “Flowering plants also purify water, prevent erosion and reduce sedimentation, all of which help contribute to a healthy and functioning ecosystem. Without pollinators such as honeybees, bats, butterflies and slugs, the ecosystem we rely on for day-to-day life would collapse.”
PPL Electric has developed numerous partnerships with conservancies around northeastern and central Pennsylvania to provide pollinator-friendly plants and seeds for easements, similar to what’s taking place in Kellys Run Preserve. In addition to taking action around the region, PPL Electric’s Community Roots Program has also contributed to the planting of more than 100 acres of native pollinator-friendly wildflowers thanks to seed donations to schools, community organizations and environmentally focused groups since 2017.
If you’re looking to join PPL Electric and Lancaster Conservancy in helping these very important pollinators, Van Etten says there are ways to create pollinator-friendly habitats where you live.
“Lancaster Conservancy protects and restores large tracts of natural lands, but we need our community to help create wildlife habitat in other places, especially in developed areas,” said Van Etten. “Birds, insects, and other animals need corridors of connected habitat to thrive. The Conservancy has resources to help. Visit lancasterconservancy.org/habitat to learn more about how you can help create pollinator habitat in your own flowerpot, yard or community.”
And, to learn more about all of the ways PPL Electric is helping to protect and enhance the environment, visit pplelectric.com/environment.
Jun 12, 2024 | Energy Future, Safety and Security
Summer is quickly approaching and high temperatures are climbing, so we’re here with tips to help keep you cool.
You can save energy and money, even in the extreme heat, with our energy efficiency tips:
- Make sure your drapes and shades are pulled down during the day to block the hot sun.
- Wear light clothing and set your thermostat between 72 and 78 degrees. You’ll save energy for every degree higher you can set your thermostat.
- Try not to use large appliances like dishwashers, stoves, washers and dryers during the warmest hours of the day.
- If you haven’t already, make the switch to cooler and more efficient LED lights; incandescent lights produce heat.
- Ceiling fans cost far less to use than air conditioners, but only turn them on in rooms that are occupied.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that over 1,200 people in the United States die from extreme heat every year. Older adults, children and sick individuals are at greater risk from extreme heat.
Here are some tips to stay safe during the hottest days:
- Find a cool place with air conditioning. If you don’t have air conditioning, the CDC urges you to find cooler places — shopping malls, libraries or public cooling centers — to avoid the heat.
- Check on your at-risk family members or neighbors.
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Never leave people or pets in a closed car.
- Avoid strenuous activity.
- If you are outside, find shade and wear a hat big enough to protect your face.
We urge you to stay safe in extreme heat situations. Find a cool place, drink fluids and stay informed of the forecast and any weather-related warnings.
Jun 4, 2024 | Environment
Thanks to our environmentally conscious customers, Pennsylvania is now 5,000 trees richer!
Back in April, we ran a campaign to encourage customers to sign up for paperless billing in celebration of Earth Month. The premise was simple, for every customer that enrolled in paperless billing during the month, we’d commit to plant a tree within one of the many communities we serve thanks to our Community Roots Program. And we’re happy to report that we’ll be planting 5,000 new trees across our service territory.
Mature trees can absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year, according to the Arbor Day Foundation. Which means these trees — thanks to our customers — will grow up and absorb more than 240,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year, the equivalent of removing approximately 26 gasoline-powered vehicles from roads annually. With just one small change, you’ve helped the environment in a big way. Thank you to everyone who went paperless in April!
Our Community Roots Program, which began in 2017, provides native trees and pollinator-friendly plants and seeds that enhance the environment and help beautify the region. Since the program began, we’ve distributed more than 132,000 trees, shrubs and native pollinator-friendly plants across eastern and central Pennsylvania.
Learn more about our Community Roots Program, and all our environmental efforts, at pplelectric.com/environmental. And, if you haven’t enrolled in paperless billing yet, sign up today at pplelectric.com/paperless.
May 28, 2024 | Community Involvement
With the snip of a ribbon, the Da Vinci Science Center at PPL Pavilion is ready to open the doors to its 67,000-square-foot facility.
The Da Vinci Center had been housed at Cedar Crest College for the last 18-plus years, offering engaging learning opportunities through a series of exhibits. The new location in downtown Allentown offers twice the space, and twice the fun.
“I have been waiting for the moment when I can see kids, families and teachers interacting with the experience,” said Lin Erickson, Executive Director and CEO of the Da Vinci Science Center. “We’ve been working really hard to raise money and design exhibits, and it’s all about the impact and how the community engages with the experiences.”
A walk through the two-story center is a scientific adventure. There are numerous exhibits designed to teach visitors about topics that are relevant to our everyday lives – health, biology and the environment, to name a few – including one of our own.
Situated along the back wall on the first floor, our exhibit features an interactive lesson in how solar energy can power a home. Using light from the ceiling, visitors control a series of mirrors to reflect light on to a number of solar panels. Each panel powers a different room or appliance within the home, simulating how sunlight can charge our lives. Walking along the back wall, children and adults alike can read about the power of electricity, and some of the careers at PPL Electric Utilities that help keep the lights on every day.
“It’s been really fun working with local companies like PPL and tapping into their expertise to develop these exhibits,” Erickson said.
PPL has been a longtime partner with the science center, and we are thrilled to continue this relationship in a new space. We believe supporting a strong foundation in STEM education is critical to the success of today’s students and it helps create the highly skilled workforce of the future. We also believe this learning should be accessible to all.
“We want to encourage access to STEM programs for all students,” said Lissette Santana, senior manager of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability. “One of our requests was to make sure that this world-class science center was accessible to the community; we want people who live and work in the area to come and enjoy this space, regardless of income.”
After 18-plus years at its old location, the Da Vinci Science Center is excited for fun and education at PPL Pavilion for generations to come.
“Thanks to PPL’s and many others’ support, we’ve built a science center for our children and grandchildren,” Erickson said. “And it will be right here in the Lehigh Valley; that is so cool.”
May 16, 2024 | Energy Future
We believe in and are charging toward a cleaner energy future. This goal means meeting new demands for connecting renewable energy, electric vehicles and other distributed energy resources to the grid.
It also means supporting our communities that are making the same pledge.
This spring, we were excited to take part in separate events welcoming electric school buses to the Bethlehem Area and Steelton-Highspire school districts. These buses were the first electric buses to be rolled out in their districts, and they are among the first in all of Pennsylvania.
In total, eight buses, two in Bethlehem and six in Steelton-Highspire, are ready for duty. To ensure the project’s success, we met with the districts to review charger locations and power requirements, determined infrastructure upgrades (if any), and ensured available capacity for when the buses arrived. The charging stations have been installed at each of the districts’ bus depots, allowing for convenient charging.
A closer look at the new chargers installed in the Steelton-Highspire School District.
We have not been waiting for this growth; we have been preparing for moments like these. Thanks to our investments in building a strong, flexible and modern grid, we were able to help in these projects without making any reinforcements to the grid.
We expect electric buses and other electric vehicles (EVs) to become even more popular over the next several years, and we’re staying engaged with our customers to help them understand how we can provide the support they need. We’ve created a webpage, pplelectric.com/EV, to help them make informed decisions about electric vehicles.
We believe electric vehicles are a viable, cost-effective and environmentally conscious means of transportation. We applaud the Bethlehem Area and Steelton-Highspire school districts for showing leadership in electrification, and we’re proud to help support electrification in any way we can.
