The pledge, previously signed by many of the nation’s largest technology companies, defines voluntary principles to help ensure that data centers appropriately fund energy and infrastructure associated with serving them and that existing customers are protected as demand grows. <\/p>\n
“The customer-protection principles reflected in the Ratepayer Protection Pledge are consistent with our approach to responsible growth,” said Vincent Sorgi, president and chief executive officer of PPL Corporation. <\/p>\n
“In fact, PPL and its utilities were early movers in establishing new rate classes and regulator-approved, enforceable tariffs designed to protect existing customers and help ensure that large energy users, including data centers, pay their fair share of the costs of infrastructure needed to serve them,” said Sorgi. <\/p>\n
“Ultimately, we believe economic growth and customer protection can go hand in hand, and this pledge reflects that important balance.” <\/p>\n
Advancing customer protections <\/p>\n
PPL believes many of the principles reflected in the Ratepayer Protection Pledge are already embedded in regulator-approved tariffs and rate structures serving large energy users in its Pennsylvania and Kentucky service territories. <\/p>\n
In Pennsylvania, PPL Electric Utilities’ recently approved LP-6 rate establishes protections \u2500 including long-term service commitments, minimum billing obligations, revenue protections, up-front payments for directly assignable upgrades, financial security requirements and other measures \u2500 all designed to ensure costs associated with new demand are paid by customers creating that demand and not shifted to others. <\/p>\n
Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company earlier this year implemented similar regulator-approved customer protections through their Extremely High Load Factor (EHLF) tariff. <\/p>\n
As data centers and other large-load customers connect under these enforceable commitments, they can improve system utilization and potentially lower costs for non-data center customers over time. <\/p>\n
These approaches demonstrate how economic growth, customer protection and infrastructure investment can advance together through regulator-approved, enforceable mechanisms tailored to the needs of individual states and electric systems.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Supporting needed infrastructure <\/p>\n
Apart from establishing enforceable protections around cost allocation, PPL’s utilities are also very focused on protecting grid reliability. <\/p>\n
Large customer connections are planned carefully, detailed engineering and reliability studies are completed up front, high-demand interconnections are subject to regulatory oversight, and any necessary upgrades are made before service begins, helping to ensure the grid remains safe and reliable for all customers. <\/p>\n
Additional generation resources will also be needed to support economic growth, strengthen national security, maintain reliability and promote long-term customer affordability. This is why PPL has consistently advocated for policies that encourage investment in new generation resources and energy infrastructure while helping to ensure the costs of serving new demand are appropriately assigned. <\/p>\n
It’s also why PPL created its joint venture with Blackstone Infrastructure \u2500 to build, own and operate new generation resources needed to serve new data center demand in PJM, particularly in Pennsylvania. The initiative is intended to support reliability, power economic development and help improve the supply-demand balance across the region in an effort to reduce upward pressure on wholesale electricity prices over time. <\/p>\n
Powering demand that’s critical to our nation’s economy <\/p>\n
PPL recognizes that data centers are an essential part of modern life, supporting everything from digital services and business operations to innovation, economic competitiveness and national security. The company’s role is to serve this new demand in a way that maintains reliability, protects customers and supports the communities it serves. <\/p>\n
“At PPL, we are focused on supporting data center growth the right way,” said Sorgi. “Reliability comes first. Growth pays for growth. Costs are fair and transparent. Infrastructure is planned with discipline and purpose. And decisions are grounded in clear, coordinated planning. <\/p>\n
“Ultimately, we believe this growth can deliver significant long-term benefits to the communities we serve. Moving forward, we will continue working with regulators, policymakers and local stakeholders to meet these growing energy needs while keeping energy safe, reliable and affordable for our customers.” <\/p>\n
About PPL\u00a0 <\/p>\n
PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is a leading U.S. energy company focused on providing electricity and natural gas safely, reliably and affordably to more than 3.6 million customers in the U.S. PPL’s high-performing, award-winning utilities are addressing energy challenges head-on by building smarter, more resilient and more dynamic power grids and advancing sustainable energy solutions. For more information, visit www.pplweb.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n Contacts: <\/p>\n For news media: Ryan Hill, 610-774-4033 <\/p>\n For financial analysts: Andy Ludwig, 610-774-3389 <\/p>\n