Pennsylvania regulators have given the green light to PPL Electric Utilities to begin charging customers a new fee to fund system improvements.
The Times-Tribune of Scranton reports the state Public Utility Commission unanimously approved the “distribution system improvement charge” during its meeting in Harrisburg on Thursday.
The utility is authorized to maintain the rate for five years. It can increase it to up to 5 percent of the total bill.
PPL's fee will go into effect July 1 for its 1.4 million customers in eastern and central Pennsylvania. It's designed to provide revenue for replacing aging poles, wires, substations and other things.
Last year, the state Legislature passed a bill allowing electric utilities to tack the additional rate onto bills to pay for infrastructure improvements.
