PPL's Holtwood Hydroelectric Plant Inducted Into Hydro Hall of Fame

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Jul 29, 2010, 04:58 ET

ALLENTOWN, Pa., July 29 /PRNewswire/ -- PPL's Holtwood hydroelectric plant was honored for a century of clean, renewable electricity generation by being inducted into the Hydro Hall of Fame on Tuesday (7/27) during the annual HydroVision International Conference in Charlotte, N.C.

PennWell, the organization that publishes the hydroelectric trade publications Hydro World and Hydro Review Magazine, selected Holtwood for the Hall of Fame in recognition of its place in engineering history, and its commitment to the future.

"As we celebrate the historic accomplishment of 100 years of power generation, we're also building for the future with an expansion that will allow us to produce electricity for generations to come," said Chris Porse, plant manager of Holtwood, who accepted the award. "It's an honor to have the Holtwood plant inducted into the Hall of Fame and recognized for its significance in engineering history as well as its investments for the future."

Holtwood was one of five hydroelectric plants inducted into the Hydro Hall of Fame in 2010. The other inductees are: Duke Energy's 99 Islands plant in Cherokee County, S.C.; Puget Sound Energy's Snoqualmie Falls plant in Snoqualmie, Wash.; and Wisconsin Public Service's Grand Rapids and High Falls plants.

The Holtwood plant has been generating electricity since 1910, using the power of the water held back by a 55-foot-high dam across the Susquehanna River between Lancaster and York counties.

In addition to celebrating 100 years of operation, 2010 marks the beginning of a construction project to more than double the plant's capacity.

The $434 million project is expected to add 125 megawatts of generation capacity to the plant when it is completed in 2013.

Additional benefits of the project are improved passage for migratory fish along the Susquehanna River and its tributaries, and improved recreational opportunities.

Expanding the Holtwood plant is part of PPL's commitment to make sound financial investments while increasing the proportion of non-fossil-fuel resources in its generation portfolio.

About 40 percent of the electricity PPL generates annually comes from nuclear, hydroelectric and renewable sources that do not emit carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

PPL Corporation, headquartered in Allentown, Pa., owns or controls nearly 12,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets and delivers electricity to about 4 million customers in Pennsylvania and the United Kingdom. More information is available at www.pplweb.com.

SOURCE PPL Corporation