PPL Electric Utilities announced on Monday that in 2026 it plans to make proactive upgrades, install innovative smart technology, and perform vegetation management to improve electric service and reduce outages year-round.
As part of PPL Electric Utilities’ multi-year reliability improvement strategy, the company will implement more than 55 large-scale grid strengthening projects, expand its industry-leading Smart Grid, and complete thousands of miles of proactive tree trimming across its 29-county service territory in 2026.
These efforts are part of the company’s broader, multi-year strategy to modernize the electric grid.
Between 2026 and 2029, PPL Electric says it will invest more than $8 billion in infrastructure improvements to enhance reliability and support regional growth.
“Reliability is the foundation of everything we do for our customers,” said PPL Electric Utilities President Christine Martin. “The investments we’re planning for 2026 are essential to strengthening and modernizing our electric grid so it can better withstand increasingly severe weather, reduce outages, and restore power faster when issues do occur. With nearly 47,000 miles of distribution lines and equipment aging across our system, these upgrades aren’t optional — they’re necessary to keep our communities safe, powered, and prepared for the future. At the same time, load growth and rapid economic development mean we must also expand our transmission system to ensure we can reliably serve the region for decades to come.”
PPL said these investments are carefully planned and intertwined with strategies that balance reliability improvements with long-term affordability for customers.
The utility said planned upgrades will strengthen the distribution system, reduce outages, and improve restoration times for customers across the company’s Pennsylvania service area.
According to a news release from PPL, similar infrastructure investments by PPL Electric — combined with vegetation management work and Smart Grid enhancements — helped drive a nearly 25% reduction in outages in 2025 compared to 2024.
In 2026, PPL Electric said projected large-scale reliability project benefits include:
• Expanding and upgrading Smart Grid devices to detect and restore power in real time.
• Replacing aging underground cables to prevent service interruptions.
• Relocating and adding new underground power line segments to improve resiliency and reduce risks associated with continued severe weather.
• Replacing hundreds of miles of overhead poles and wires with stronger materials designed to withstand more extreme conditions, including 100-mile-per-hour winds.
Vegetation management also remains a PPL priority. PPL Electric plans to clear hazardous trees and branches along more than 4,750 miles of power lines in 2026 to reduce tree-related outages, which are the leading cause of service interruptions during storms.
“By expanding our Smart Grid technology, strengthening infrastructure, and proactively managing vegetation, we’re building a more resilient grid that delivers real value to customers,” said Martin. “These investments not only help prevent outages, but ensure homes, businesses, and critical services across our region can count on electricity being there when it matters most.”
For information on PPL Electric’s reliability initiatives, visit pplelectric.com/reliability.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
