Sep 2, 2022 | Reliability
It took a lot of strategic planning, hard work and the use of a 100-ton crane, but residents on one city block in Harrisburg can rest easier now that a huge tree that had become a safety hazard is gone.
We partnered with the City of Harrisburg and tree-removal experts to safely remove the gargantuan Elm, with roots spanning multiple properties and branches entangled in our power lines.
Once customers began calling with safety concerns, we knew we had to act before the tree caused an electrical fire or outages—or fell and hurt someone or damaged property.
“Tree maintenance on private property generally isn’t our responsibility,” said Regional Affairs Director Maggie Sheely. “But, when it comes to safety, we don’t compromise. We step up to do the right thing and keep our customers safe.”
Equipped with bucket trucks and generators, our crews were on site for four days, untangling the large tree from our lines with precision.
It was a TREE-mendous effort by all that created a safer environment and ensured more reliable service for some Harrisburg residents.
Sep 1, 2022 | Reliability
September is recognized annually as National Preparedness Month—an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies.
What’s more, for the third year in a row, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting an above-average hurricane season in the Atlantic.
Pennsylvania doesn’t have a coastline, but we can still be impacted by hurricanes, tropical storms and other bouts of severe weather. We want you to know that when mother nature lashes out, we’re ready to respond to power outages as safely and quickly as possible, around the clock, to get the lights back on.
Not only are we prepared to respond to outages, we’ve taken steps to help avoid them altogether, despite the weather.
The investments we’ve made in our electric grid have made it more reliable than ever, even during extreme weather. Sensors on our smart grid identify outages quickly and can automatically reroute power to get as many customers back up and running as possible, often in seconds. In fact, since 2015, our advanced grid has helped prevent more than 1.4 million customer outages.
Like we always say: The best outage is an outage that never happens in the first place.
Smart grid devices are just one part of our investments to continuously improve the reliability of your electric service. Other work includes new power lines and substations; stronger, more storm-resistant poles; and trimming more trees. Find out more about the ways we’re strengthening the electric delivery system to meet your expectations for safe, reliable service at pplelectric.com/reliability.
Be prepared. Stay informed.
Have you managed your alerts recently? We’ve made it easier than ever for you to stay informed during severe weather with our automated alerts. You can receive information regarding outages, repair crew status and estimated restoration times, all via text message, phone or email. Pick your preferences at pplelectric.com/alerts. And remember that you can report or check on an outage at pplelectric.com/outage.
Plus, we use social media to provide storm updates and share tips on how to stay safe before, during and after storms. Follow us @PPLElectric for all the latest news and updates.
Sep 1, 2022 | Community Involvement
Keeping power flowing is no easy job. Our lineworkers are safety focused, highly trained and dedicated. They have unique skills. And it never hurts to show off those skills, especially when it’s for a good cause.
This summer, PPL Electric employees competed in the 10th annual Lineman Rodeo, sponsored by the National Sisterhood United for Journeymen Lineman (NSUJL), in Hazleton. The two-day event raised funds for the families of fallen and injured IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) lineworkers and other electric distribution company employees.
Our team competed against other lineworkers in events designed to show their field skills. They took part in the Speed Climb, Hurtman Rescue, Obstacle Course, Three-Phase Transfer, Switch Changeout and other events.
When all was said and done, our lineworkers and their teams made us proud, placing in two events. Congratulations to all the participants!
Aug 19, 2022 | Community Involvement
It’s Little League World Series time in Williamsport. That means it’s time for PPL Electric to step up to help make the international event a success! Here’s how we do it:
Volunteers for safety: About 30 of our employees and their family members participated in the Grand Slam Parade on August 15. They volunteered as “safety walkers,” walking alongside members of the 16 Little League teams in the parade and keeping the young athletes safe.
Always be prepared: We love Pennsylvania, and we want to make sure the lights are shining bright when events take place. That’s why we work closely with local event leaders to prepare, and then we work hard to ensure that the lights stay on, and the event goes off without a hitch.
In preparation for the 2022 tournament, we performed inspections of our facilities that serve the Little League complex, met with LLWS representatives prior to the event, inspected lines in the area for any potential tree hazards and more. Our crews are also on hand and ready in case they need to respond to any power issues during the event.
We are grateful to our employees for their hard work, preparation and participation in this exciting international sporting event. Play ball!
May 24, 2022 | Reliability
Our mission is to provide safe and reliable electric service to power your lives. That’s why we’re always working on reliability efforts, like trimming trees and investing in stronger poles.
Recently, our crews in Monroe County completed a major project to relocate powerlines that were causing reliability issues. The lines ran through heavily wooded areas that were hard to access, making it difficult for us to restore power after storms.
We also added larger and more storm-resistant poles and a state-of-the-art device to help prevent outages.
The project took nearly 1,000 hours to complete!
Want to learn more about our reliability investments? Check out pplelectric.com/reliability and follow us on social media @PPLElectric.
