PPL completes Northeast-Pocono transmission project

$350 million investment in reliability includes three new substations, new lines

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Apr 22, 2016, 09:39 ET

ALLENTOWN, Pa., April 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- PPL Electric Utilities on Wednesday (4/20) completed the Northeast-Pocono Reliability Project, a $350 million investment in new substations and power lines to boost regional reliability.

Originally projected for completion in late 2017, the work was done more than a year early, thanks to effective management and coordination of the varied aspects of the project. While construction is complete, land restoration is expected to continue to the end of this year.

A helicopter helps string new wires over a portion of the Northeast-Pocono Reliability Project.

The work included three new substations, nearly 60 miles of new 230-kilovolt power lines, and other improvements.

Northeast-Pocono is the second major transmission project to be completed by PPL in the past year. The $648 million Susquehanna-Roseland transmission line was completed in early May 2015.

"Large, vital projects like these can only be accomplished with expertise, commitment, cooperation and involvement of all stakeholders," said Stephanie Raymond, vice president, Transmission and Substations for the utility. "In the end, our customers have a stronger, more resilient and more secure power grid."

"Customers in the region — including in Lackawanna, Monroe, Wayne, Pike and Luzerne counties — will benefit from this project through fewer and shorter outages," said Raymond. "The project will also help make the power grid more secure."

The project was announced in late 2011 and was approved by the state Public Utility Commission in early 2014 after more than a dozen community input meetings.

PPL Electric Utilities provides electric delivery service to more than 1.4 million homes and businesses in Pennsylvania and ranks among the best utility companies in the country for customer service and reliability. With 2,300 employees, PPL Electric Utilities is a major employer in the communities it serves. It is a subsidiary of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL). For more information visit www.pplelectric.com.

Visit our media website at www.pplnewsroom.com for additional news and background about PPL Corporation.