ALLENTOWN – PPL Electric Utilities has received the Southeastern Electric Exchange (S.E.E.) Chairman’s Award for its groundbreaking technology that safely and automatically cuts power to downed power lines.
This award, which is designated by the S.E.E. conference chairman, honors the one project that is deemed most outstanding out of all this year’s category winners. PPL’s Automatic De-energization of Downed Conductors (ADDC) technology was recognized as the winner of the safety category and then honored with the Chairman’s Award.
“Nothing is more important than engineering a safe grid for our workers, customers, and the public,” said PPL Electric Utilities President Steph Raymond. “We have built upon existing technology and infrastructure to add groundbreaking new features that automatically detect and respond to live downed conductors. The initiative is part of PPL’s continued efforts to innovate for a safer, smarter, more reliable future.”
Building upon Schweitzer Electric Laboratories ArcSense™ downed wire detection technology, PPL engineers were able to develop and implement this new advanced technology on nearly two-thirds of its distribution grid. Now, with over 2,300 grid devices programmed with downed wire alarming and 1,500 devices able to cut power to downed lines, PPL has substantially decreased the odds that such an event would create a potentially harmful situation for employees or the public. Since its implementation in 2019, the innovative ADDC technology has triggered to successfully prevent six instances of these potential hazards.
Like most electric utilities, PPL has a primarily overhead grid. And while downed wires are something these utilities may have to occasionally deal with, thanks to this innovative and patented technology, PPL has yet again helped to raise the electric utility safety bar to a new level and given itself a distinct advantage in the industry. This successful patent of safety technology marks PPL’s second in the past two years and is a testament to the utility’s commitment to safety.
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. PPL Electric Utilities is a major employer in the communities it serves. It is a subsidiary of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL).
S.E.E. is a non-profit association of investor-owned utilities that was founded in 1933. The 22-state association helps to promote the common interests and growth of its members, develop and enhance the resources of member companies, and provide coordination of storm restoration services to impacted members.
