PECO Investing $650,000 in Underground Cable Improvements

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PECO will invest about $650,000 in the first quarter of 2013 to replace and perform preventative maintenance on about 50,000 feet of underground cable that delivers electricity to thousands of customers in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia and York Counties. This work is expected to reduce the potential for cable malfunctions and service interruptions to more than 5,000 customers.

“Preventative maintenance, upgrading and replacement of our equipment are crucial to providing customers with safe and reliable service every day.”

All projects are scheduled to be completed by the end of March. As part of this work, PECO is using special equipment to limit the amount of digging necessary to replace the cable, which will minimize the impact on customers’ lawns and driveways.

In addition to replacing cable, about 28,000 feet of underground cable will be injected with silicone gel designed to fill and seal any cracks that may have developed in the cable’s insulation. This process helps reduce the number of outages caused by water intrusion into the cable.

“By continuously monitoring our electric system’s performance, including the performance of our underground cable, we are able to identify key opportunities to improve service for our customers,” said Eric Helt, vice president of Electric Operations. “Preventative maintenance, upgrading and replacement of our equipment are crucial to providing customers with safe and reliable service every day.”

Underground cable replacement and preventative maintenance are part of PECO’s overall program to ensure safe and reliable electric service for PECO’s 1.6 million electric customers. Each year, the company conducts regular maintenance and inspection of equipment, including substations, manholes, and aerial lines and poles, to identify opportunities to improve performance.

Based in Philadelphia, PECO is an electric and natural gas utility subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC). PECO serves 1.6 million electric and 497,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania and employs about 2,400 people in the region. PECO delivered 76.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 37.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2012. Founded in 1881, PECO is one of the Greater Philadelphia Region's most active corporate citizens, providing leadership, volunteer and financial support to numerous arts and culture, education, environmental, economic development and community programs and organizations.

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