PPL EnergyPlus, a seller of wholesale and retail electricity based in eastern Pennsylvania, began offering retail natural gas to commercial and industrial customers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware, the company said Tuesday.

“With our significant experience in the gas business we can offer real value to customers who choose us for their natural gas supply,” said Joe Hopf, president of Allentown, PA-based PPL EnergyPlus. “The retail business is a natural extension of our wholesale gas operations and a natural complement to our electricity marketing and trading business.”

PPL Gas Utilities and PPL Electric Utilities, two PPL Corp. regulated affiliates of the unregulated marketing business, deliver gas and power to customers mainly in Pennsylvania. Another affiliate, PPL Generation, produces more than 11,000 MW at power plants in Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Montana, New York and Pennsylvania.

Hopf said the addition of retail gas supply is part of the effort to grow the value of the PPL EnergyPlus marketing and trading operations. To that end PPL EnergyPlus will be contacting large industrial and commercial customers such as factories, school districts, government operations and hospitals to discuss their natural gas needs.

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