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Unit 1 at Susquehanna Nuclear Plant Shuts Down Safely

BERWICK, Pa., Jan. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Operators at PPL's Susquehanna nuclear plant near Berwick, Luzerne County, Pa., safely shut down Unit 1 shortly after 6 a.m. Tuesday (1/25).

"Operators made a conservative decision to safely shut down Unit 1 to make repairs following a small steam leak in a system that preheats water for the reactor," said Timothy S. Rausch , PPL's chief nuclear officer. "We will make repairs promptly and return the unit to service in a safe and reliable manner."

There were no injuries and all safety equipment functioned as designed during the shutdown.

Unit 2 at the Susquehanna plant continues to operate at full power.

According to officials at the PJM Interconnection, which oversees the operation of the regional power grid, power supply is adequate to meet the increased demand for electricity caused by the cold weather.

The Susquehanna plant, located in Luzerne County about seven miles north of Berwick, is owned jointly by PPL Susquehanna LLC and Allegheny Electric Cooperative Inc. and is operated by PPL Susquehanna.

PPL Susquehanna is one of PPL Corporation's generating facilities. Headquartered in Allentown, Pa., PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) owns or controls about 19,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets, and delivers electricity and natural gas to about 5.2 million customers in the United States and the United Kingdom. More information is available at www.pplweb.com .

SOURCE PPL Susquehanna