Unit 1 at Susquehanna Nuclear Power Plant Begins Outage for Planned Turbine Modifications

BERWICK, Pa., May 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Operators at PPL's Susquehanna nuclear power plant disconnected Unit 1 from the regional power grid early Thursday (5/9) at the start of a scheduled outage to install turbine modifications. The modifications are the first phase of a long-term plan that is expected to resolve the turbine blade issues that have affected plant operations in recent years.

"Our conservative approach to resolve the issue by carefully monitoring blade performance and investing in the needed modifications reflects our commitment to the safe operation of the plant," said Timothy S. Rausch, PPL Susquehanna senior vice president and Chief Nuclear Officer.

Workers made the same modifications to Unit 2 during its regularly scheduled refueling outage, which is still ongoing.

Both units are expected back in service by the start of summer.

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 LLC is one of PPL Corporation's generating affiliates. PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), with annual revenue of more than $12 billion, is one of the largest companies in the U.S. utility sector. The PPL family of companies delivers electricity and natural gas to about 10 million customers in the United States and the United Kingdom, owns more than 18,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States and sells energy in key U.S. markets. More information is available at www.pplsusquehanna.com and www.pplweb.com.

SOURCE PPL Susquehanna