Pennsylvania Power and Light Electric Utilities is currently installing new equipment in order for customers in its 26-county range to have more dependable electricity during the summer.

Locally, PPL is working on Smart Grid, a system of automated sensors and switches that immediately detects a power outage and restores it within seconds.The system is computer-driven, and the grid is air-connected, making it possible to reroute power before people even know they've had an outage.Paul Wirth, spokesman for PPL, explained how the technology works."For instance, if a tree falls on a line and you're affected, the system will catch it immediately, throw some switches, and deliver power to your house," he said. "It happens in an instant."Smart Grid has been piloted in the Harrisburg area and has already significantly improved service.Since 2012, people have experienced 38 percent fewer outages where Smart Grid is in effect.The equipment is currently being installed in this area and will be automated over the next year.However, PPL is already using the sensors that detect power outages and manually throw switches from a control center.Although the Smart Grid system is not rerouting power by itself at this time, power is still being restored within minutes, not hours, and a crew no longer needs to be sent out to make the repairs.Tree trimming is another major project this summer.Falling trees are the most common cause of power outages during storms, so PPL plans to trim or remove trees near wires.Tree-related outages decreased by 43 percent in 2013, and the company hopes to continue decreasing this number even more.Other ways of protecting poles include the replacement of aging equipment, installation of more weather-resistant poles and installation of animal guards to keep squirrels and other animals from causing outages.Annually, the company completes visual patrols and infrared thermal inspections of its 33,000 miles of overhead distribution lines as part of its maintenance program. PPL addresses any needed maintenance before summer, which is a period of peak electric demand for customers."We're making a huge difference for customers in terms of fewer power outages," Wirth said of the company's recent innovations.