News Releases

PPL's Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Luzerne County declared an "unusual event" at 1:25 p.m. EDT on Wednesday (4/28) because of an electrical failure in a power distribution panel located in the Unit 2 reactor building.

The affected distribution panel supplies power to the cooling system for the main generator. Power also was disrupted to the system that removes certain gases from the turbine's main condenser, without which the unit cannot operate at full power, said Herbert D. Woodeshick, special assistant to the president for PPL Susquehanna.

"The plant is stable, and we've reduced power on Unit 2 to about 80 percent," he said. "There was no radioactive release as a result of this incident, and we've already begun repairs to the affected equipment."

There were no injuries, and off-site fire companies were not needed, Woodeshick said.

Unit 1 remains at full power.

An unusual event is the lowest of the four emergency classifications established by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for nuclear power plants. It means a minor problem is in progress or has occurred that could reduce plant safety. No releases of radioactive material requiring off-site response or monitoring are expected, and no action by the general public is required.

PPL has notified Luzerne and Columbia county emergency management agencies, as well as the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, which are coordinating support services as needed. The company also has notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

PPL has activated its Media Operations Center at the Susquehanna Energy Information Center along Route 11, seven miles north of Berwick. The phone number is 570-759-2285.

The Susquehanna plant, located about seven miles north of Berwick, is owned jointly by PPL Susquehanna LLC and Allegheny Electric Cooperative Inc. and is operated by PPL Susquehanna.

PPL Susquehanna LLC is a member of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies. Headquartered in Allentown, Pa., PPL Corporation controls about 11,500 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets and delivers electricity to customers in Pennsylvania, the United Kingdom and Latin America. More information is available at www.pplweb.com.

SOURCE: PPL Corporation

CONTACT: Herbert D. Woodeshick, PPL Corporation, +1-570-759-2285, Fax:
+1-610-774-5281

Web site: http://www.pplweb.com/