ALLENTOWN, Pa., June 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PPL Electric Utilities has received approval for its plan to begin buying the electricity its customers will need in 2011 and beyond and will start the purchase process during this current period of relatively lower wholesale market prices for electricity. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission on Thursday (6/18) approved the company's electricity purchase plan for 2011, 2012 and the first five months of 2013. The plan will ensure a dependable option for customers who don't shop for better deals in the market. "We're pleased with the PUC's decision and will soon begin the process of buying electricity supply for our customers at the current, relatively low prices for 2011," said David G. DeCampli, president of PPL Electric Utilities. "The lower the prices we get in these purchases, the lower the electric bills will be for customers who don't pick an alternative electricity supplier." Pennsylvania law allows customers to choose their generation provider. As a delivery company, PPL Electric Utilities does not generate power. If customers don't choose a generation provider, PPL Electric Utilities must buy electricity supply for them and pass the costs through without profit. Generation currently accounts for about half of the typical electric bill. DeCampli said the company soon will issue a request for bids for electricity needed for the first five months of 2011. The company will then make many purchases over time to minimize the risk of price spikes for its customers. The company will buy electricity through a mix of long-term, short-term and spot-market purchases. Beginning in 2011, generation prices for residential and small-business customer rates will reflect a blend of prices from these different purchases. Prices will then be adjusted quarterly as they are today for customers of Pennsylvania natural gas utilities. Large commercial and industrial customers who do not choose an alternative supplier will be able to choose a short-term, fixed-price option or hourly market rates for default service starting in 2011. "We expect that our customers will have more choices, and we're starting to see signs of that now," DeCampli said. "Alternative suppliers have already begun approaching some of our customers. For years, suppliers facing present-day costs have been unable to compete with capped 1990s prices. That will change beginning in 2010, and we encourage all of our customers to research alternative suppliers and pursue the best deal for their needs." PPL Electric Utilities' plan for 2011 and beyond is separate from its PUC-approved plan for purchasing 2010 default supply. PPL Electric Utilities has been purchasing power over several years for 2010 and has completed five of six purchases. The final 2010 purchase will be completed this fall. The company has hired NERA Economic Consulting, an independent third party, to manage the bid process. Additional information is publicly available at http://www.pplpolr.com/. Suppliers with questions should e-mail or submit questions through the Web site. PPL Electric Utilities Corporation, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) that provides electricity delivery services to about 1.4 million customers in Pennsylvania, has consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. More information is available at http://www.pplelectric.com/. DATASOURCE: PPL Electric Utilities CONTACT: George Lewis of PPL Electric Utilities, +1-610-774-5997 Web Site: http://www.pplelectric.com/

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