2 days ago
PUC seeks input on proposed settlement in Carbondale transformer fire
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission will seek public comment on a proposed settlement with PPL related to a transformer fire in Carbondale.
Commission members voted unanimously Thursday to publish the proposed settlement in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, beginning a 25-day public comment period.
The settlement stems from a transformer fire Dec. 9, 2022, when a 'hot leg' wire on the secondary side of a transformer burned open and fell onto a lower communications line, causing a fire at 22 Shannon St., according to the commission. It resulted in a power outage that affected more than 2,500 PPL customers for several hours.
The commission's Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement concluded that sufficient evidence existed to support allegations that PPL violated the commission's electric safety regulations and two provisions of the National Electric Safety Code.
Under the terms of the proposed settlement, PPL will pay a $4,500 civil penalty; inspect work completed over the past five years in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties involving conductor connections between transformer primary leads and secondary connections; provide a listing of the completed work; document and analyze any defects discovered during inspections; develop appropriate corrective measures and modify procedures where necessary; share its findings at the conclusion of its inspection efforts; and review and update its overhead transformer installation procedures.
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