PPL Electric Utilities recently completed more than $540,000 in upgrades to its delivery system in Schuylkill County in eastern Pennsylvania to strengthen reliability and improve service to its customers.

The company rebuilt more than 1.5 miles of power lines along High Road in Butler Township. The new poles, larger wires and new equipment, which serve about 1,500 customers, will help the company keep service reliable as usage grows.

The upgrades also create stronger ties between different substations in the region, giving the company greater flexibility to reroute power and get the lights back on sooner for customers when there’s a problem. Work began in March and was completed last week.

The project is part of $32 million in recent improvements aimed at boosting capacity and relieving the strain that high electricity use can have on different parts of the delivery system. In all, the company plans to invest $410 million this year alone to maintain, improve and expand its delivery system.

“When the temperature soars, as it did last week, our customers count on us more than ever to help beat the heat and stay cool,” said Frank Gaida, regional director of Operations for PPL Electric Utilities. “These improvements and other efforts like tree trimming are about making sure we can deliver not just electricity, but also peace of mind when they need us the most.”