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"PPL Electric says the future is now when it comes to preventing power outages. The provider\u2019s new \"smart grid\" technology is already cutting down response times.\u201CEach and every one of us, when we flip the switch, we expect the power to be on,\u201D said John Levitski, PPL regional affairs director.But when it\u2019s not, thanks to winds, storms or crashes, it can sometimes take a long time to fix.PPL says its smart grid technology is helping crews pinpoint the source of the problem faster.Eventually, a gray box will send a distress signal back to PPL whenever its power lines are damaged.\u201CInstead of having to deploy field personnel to determine where the outage was and where the cause was, we in real-time communication, will get a response saying where the problem is,\u201D said Levitski.PPL says the smart grid will cut down outage times by 40 percent not only above the ground, but also underground.\u201CWe\u2019ve had situations where there were rodents that got into equipment underground and chewed through lines,\u201D said Levitski.Right now, the program is being tested in Dauphin and Cumberland counties.It will come to Lancaster City by 2015 and to other Harrisburg and Lancaster County residents by 2018.It\u2019s a $100 million upgrade that the company hopes will make a real difference during emergencies.\u201CWe would hope customers would notice an improvement and customers in rural areas on challenging circuits. That\u2019s by design, that\u2019s what we\u2019re doing,\u201D said Levitski.PPL says that one day, the smart grid will be able to reroute power from damaged lines remotely without the help of crews.\u00A0"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.wgal.com/article/smart-grid-technology-will-help-ppl-pinpoint-trouble-spots/6228216>