PPL Electric Utilities is planning $705 million in improvements to its infrastructure over the next five years and is turning to its customers to help pay the bill.
PPL spokesman Bryan Hay said the company plans to file a petition this week with the state Public Utility Commission asking for a new fee that would help fund improvements to the company’s distribution system.
Hay did not provide specifics about the new charge, but said details would be released this week.
The 473,000 PECO customers who have made the switch to an alternative energy supplier must have felt pretty good about their choice Monday.
“PECO’s energy delivery rates have not changed but the price we are paying to purchase electricity for customers who have not switched to an alternative provider has gone up 21.5 percent from the third to the fourth quarter,” said PECO spokeswoman Cathy Engle Menendez.
“The price is adjusted quarterly and tied directly to the wholesale cost of electricity. We have no control over this price. It’s a pass-through.”
Read more: http://business-news.thestreet.com/the-mercury/story/electricity-costs-increase-peco-customers/1
English: Hurricane Irene over North Carolina, United States (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Met-Ed and PPL electric utilities have to improve their tree-trimming and line maintenance so that preventable outages like those that occurred during the major storms of 2011 can be reduced or eliminated.
The utilities also must be more responsive to customers during major storms, according to three reports critical of the utilities, issued this week by the state Public Utility Commission.
The reports were ordered in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene last August, flooding rains from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee in early September, and the freak late October snowstorm.
“Tree trimming should be a primary concern for both the (electric utilities) and commission for its effect on reliability as well as its role in long-duration outages,” the report said.
Image via Wikipedia
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted today to split up the (814) area code. This area code, which covers from Erie County to the Maryland border, is running out of phone numbers.
The PUC considered three proposals on how to divide up this massive swath of Pennsylvania. Of the four original Pennsylvania area codes established in 1947, (814) was the last area code to remain unchanged.
Below is as link to the PA PUC website showing the county split. The new area code number has yet to be determined.
http://www.puc.state.pa.us/telecom/pdf/areacode/814split_CountyMap2010.pdf
