PPL Electric Utilities Files Distribution Base Rate Request to Enhance Service Reliability, Improve Resiliency and Meet Customer Needs

PPL Electric Utilities is planning investments to build and maintain a resilient electric grid dealing with severe weather, preventing outages and improving service to customers and to fund the investments, the company has filed its distribution base rate request.

"PPL Electric Utilities' base distribution rates have not changed in the last 10 years, and, as a result, our customers have among the lowest distribution rates in the state," said Christine Martin, president of PPL Electric Utilities. "With nearly 47,000 miles of distribution lines, 1 million poles, hundreds of substations, and thousands of pieces of equipment, costs are rising to maintain and upgrade these essential services.”

The company's proposal requests funding to:

• Further strengthen and modernize the electric grid to better withstand severe weather events, minimize outages and protect against evolving cyber threats. Ongoing investments include comprehensive tree trimming and installing stronger poles and wire and equipment guards.
• Continue to implement next-generation smart grid technologies such as advanced automation to accelerate restoration times and reduce outages, and data analytics to inform smarter business decisions that deliver the greatest value for customers. The company's advanced smart grid has helped avoid more than 3 million outages.
• Improve customer service systems and expand self-service options to offer more convenience and flexibility for customers, and reduce call wait times.

PPL Electric's rate request includes a proposed distribution base rate revenue increase of approximately $356 million, which is expected to increase the company's total annual revenue by about 8.6%. More than $50 million of the request is reflected in customer bills, making the net distribution revenue increase requested to over $300 million.

PPL Electric operating and maintenance expenses have increased by 7.4% since 2015, nearly 25% below inflation over that time period. The requested change is anticipated to add about $13 a month, or 43 cents a day, for a residential customer using 1,000 kWh a month, depending on regulatory approval.

For a typical commercial customer using 1,000 kWh and 3 KW per month, the increase will be about $8 per month and for a typical industrial customer using 150,000 kWh and 500 KW per month, the increase will be about $514 per month.

The requested increase will go directly toward strengthening reliability and improving customer service for PPL Electric's 1.5 million customers. If approved, the company expects new rates to become effective on July 1, 2026.