PPL Electric Utilities Goes Live with First Large-Scale Hourly Meter Data Management System.

WELLESLEY, Mass. -- To promote a more efficient electricity distribution system, the utility industry, as well as the 2005 Energy Policy Act, have called for consideration of advanced meters that measure electric usage on an hourly basis for all customers. This month, when its new data management software system went "live," PPL Electric Utilities (PPL) became the nation's first utility to obtain hourly usage from its entire customer base - nearly 1.4 million homes and businesses.

PPL's Meter Data Management System (MDMS), developed and installed by Nexus Energy Software, is providing data validation, process management, storage, and analysis of hourly meter readings which are reported throughout the day by signals sent over power lines from all customers' meters, primarily utilizing TWACS([R]) by DCSI meter communications technology. With successful live operation of the Nexus MDMS[TM], PPL has the largest operational system in North America in terms of hourly read data volume, and will be the most comprehensive in terms of applications that leverage the data.

"The integration of our advanced metering system with the Nexus MDMS unlocks the door to a whole host of applications that will benefit our customers and the company," remarked Bernie Bujnowski, Director of Advanced Metering for PPL. "The availability of hourly energy use information will enable significant improvements in our operations and, over time, enhancements to customer services."

The Nexus MDMS[TM] is the centralized storage and control system for data operations for the hourly meter reads, and provides the platform for integrated applications for enhanced revenue protection, complex billing, forecasting, distribution management, load research, settlement, and customer energy management services, which will be rolled out over the next several months.

"We were very impressed with Nexus' vision of what a meter data management system can deliver, as well as their innovative approach to both data storage and leveraging data for business benefit," added Bujnowski. "We were also impressed with the smooth implementation, which took less than 6 months."

Harvey Michaels, CEO of Nexus Energy Software, added: "We appreciate that PPL chose to work with us on data management systems to achieve the potential of its pioneering all-customer advanced meter system. Leveraging our experiences with on-line customer service, asset planning, complex billing, and other critical systems to more than 85 energy companies worldwide helped us deliver a solution to PPL that ensured performance-at-scale as well as delivering business results and customer energy management benefits."

About PPL Electric Utilities (PPL)

PPL Electric Utilities Corporation, a subsidiary 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 United States. Headquartered in Allentown, Pa., PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) controls more than 11,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets and delivers electricity to more than 5 million customers in Pennsylvania, the United Kingdom and Latin America.

About Nexus Energy Software

Nexus Energy Software, a subsidiary of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE), enables the vision of what energy information can accomplish for the 21st Century Utility by transforming both energy company and customer views of energy. Nexus' leading, proven-at-scale solutions support customer interactions via self-service and the contact center, while enhancing operating functions with analytic applications that integrate meter, customer, and asset data. Nexus' ENERGYprism([R]), Energy Vision([R]) and Nexus MDMS[TM] product lines are in use at over 85 energy companies worldwide, supporting millions of interactions and transactions each year, and can be viewed at: www.nexusenergy.com.