PPL Electric Utilities, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation, has proposed the use of smarter grids to save energy, strengthen reliability and enhance electric services in the Harrisburg area.

 

The company provides electric delivery service to 1.4 million customers in 29 counties of eastern and central Pennsylvania.

 

The proposed $38 million project to the U.S. Department of Energy would make use of smart technology to equip the company’s transmit power more efficiently, react instantaneously to changes in delivery system and nonchalantly reroute power in case problems occur.

 

Technology has advanced leaps and bounds since the electricity delivery systems were deployed and it would be only wise to incorporate technology to enhance those older delivery systems, PPL Electric officials said. The company claims that the new proposed project would only help introduce Thomas Edison to the 21st century.

 

David G. DeCampli, president of PPL Electric Utilities has said that they have formulated this project only to help realize a better, smarter electric grid by deploying the latest in advanced grid devices, computer systems, software and high-speed communications.

 

The US Department of Energy has pledged $3.3 billion to spur smart grid development and they are seeking $19 million in federal funding for the project.

 

If the project is approved, PPL Electric says it will install hundreds of new electrical devices focusing on 150 square miles of the company's delivery system and deploy a centralized computer system linked to these devices that would track and respond to changes on the delivery system as they happen.

 

Company officials have said that it would seek partnerships from Drexel University and technology leaders GE Energy, Lockheed Martin (News - Alert) Corporation and Alcatel-Lucent if the project gets a go ahead signal.

 

The company claims that having a smarter system running the power distribution is advantageous in many ways. For instance if an uprooted tree has cut off power lines the smart system will instantly reroute power via an alternate route until the damaged power lines are fixed. Repair crews can easily fix repairs as the problems get isolated beforehand and they can reach the problem spots well prepared.

 

PPL Electric believes that technology has transformed the way people live in many ways and just like that it also has the potential to reshape the way people think about, use and deliver electricity.

 

The company had selected Mapframe's Fieldsmart Software for Mobile Mapping and Field Automation and extended deployment of Witness Systems' (News - Alert) Workforce Optimization Software.