Hazleton, Pa., March 18, 2010 — Continuing its advance planning for the Susquehanna-Roseland power line, PPL Electric Utilities has awarded a major contract to a company with plants in the Hazleton area.

The contract is expected to create more than 50 new jobs and pump millions of dollars into the regional economy.

Valmont Industries Inc., with plants in Hazleton and West Hazleton, will design and manufacture the steel poles for the 101-mile Pennsylvania segment of the transmission line.

The contract, awarded through a competitive bidding process, will lead to a boost for the two manufacturing facilities, Valmont officials said. The contract is valued in excess of $70 million.

Timing of the new jobs and economic benefits for the region depends on the timing of construction, DeCampli said. Major approvals already have been received from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

Additional approval is needed from the National Park Service, which has said its environmental review could take until early 2012.

The regional economic benefits of the Valmont Industries contract are in addition to the benefits expected from construction of the Susquehanna-Roseland transmission line.

Construction will create 165 to 330 jobs, resulting in a positive economic impact to the region of $100 million for the three-year period, according to an economic impact study by Penn State's Workforce Education and Development Initiative Team.

PPL Electric Utilities Corporation, a unit of PPL Corporation that provides electricity delivery services to about 1.4 million customers in Pennsylvania, has consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the U.S.