UNDATED — Have you looked up at the sky at night and noticed a spark or something flashing on your power lines? Before you call 911 to report an elctrical fire or the latest UFO sighting, look again. PPL has been putting new technology to work.
PPL has been putting new fault indicators on the electrical lines throughout the area. These fault indicators are designed to increase reliability and restore power outages more quickly than before. They are also being used to guide repair crews directly to problem areas by blinking when a problem arises.
These devices are small enough to fit in your hand, but they have been causing cofusion with the blinking lights on the lines. PPL says some customers have been calling 911 to report sparking wires or a line fire, so PPL is trying to alert customers of these fault indicators and other new technology they are rolling out this year.
Other upgrades PPL is planning for the coming year include smart grid technology, which can automatically reroute power arounf the scene of an outage and restoring service in a matter of minutes instead of hours.
For information on these and any other upgrades, please call 1-800-DIAL-PPL (342-5775). (Christopher Elio)
