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PPL's Carbon Capture Project Gets $72M US DOE Funding: Time to Buy?

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PPL Corporation (PPL - Free Report) announced that its carbon emission capture research and development project has secured up to $72 million of funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (“OCED”).

Per the agreement, OCED awarded PPL with the first tranche of funding, worth $4.9 million, to begin Phase 1 activities. The research and development work will be conducted at PPL’s Cane Run generating station in Louisville, KY.
 
This carbon emission capture project will assist the utilities to reduce emissions at a faster pace and accelerate the transition to a clean energy future.

PPL Trades Above 50 Day SMA

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The chart above indicates that the PPL stock is riding above the 50-day simple moving average (SMA), signaling a bullish trend.

How PPL’s Emission Capture Can Help Achieve the Net-Zero Emission Goal
 

A clear transition is evident in the U.S. electricity generation space as operators in the U.S. electric power sector are declaring their net-zero emission goals. The ongoing research and development should help create new ways to reduce emissions sustainably.


PPL will introduce the emission control system in its Cane Run 7 Generating Station and the system planned for Cane Run is set to capture a portion of the carbon dioxide from the natural gas plant's flue gas (using an advanced heat-integrated carbon dioxide capture technology).

The new system is expected to capture more than 95% of the carbon emissions from up to 20 megawatts (MW) of the plant's 691 MW generating capacity, or up to 67,000 metric tons of CO2 per year. That's equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions of 16,000 gasoline-powered cars, according to OCED.

PPL’s pilot project is expected to play a crucial step in assessing the viability of utility-scale carbon capture technology on natural gas units.  If the entire process works out as planned, the new technology can be commercially adopted in other natural gas units to reduce emissions.

PPL’s Ongoing Initiatives in Emission Reduction
 

PPL’s carbon emission reduction target is presently following the international climate policy goal to limit global warming within 2 Celsius above pre-industrial levels. PPL plans to achieve its carbon emissions target of 70% by 2035 and of 80% by 2040, from its 2010 levels.

PPL will continue to reduce emissions through the introduction of new carbon capture technology and add more renewable sources to the generation portfolio. It also aims to become carbon neutral by 2050. This initiative can help the company to lower the cost of operations by focusing on new and advanced assets. Another utility, Xcel Energy (XEL - Free Report) , aims to achieve carbon emission neutrality within 2050 by adding new clean energy projects and retiring of coal power plants.

PPL is involved in more than 175 research and development projects. It is also in partnership with more than 30 industry and academic partners. These projects are expected to help accelerate low-carbon energy technologies to strengthen network resiliency and build the future grid.

PPL’s Shares Outperformed Industry Last Year

 

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PPL’s shares have rallied 31% in the past year compared with its industry’s growth of 19.9%.

PPL’s Earnings Estimates

 

PPL expects its 2024 EPS to be in the range of $1.63-$1.75 compared with $1.60 per share in 2023. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2024 and 2025 EPS indicates year-over-year growth of 7.5% and 6.7%, respectively. The year-over-year increase in earnings estimates indicates analysts’ increasing confidence in the stock.

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PPL Distributes Dividends to Shareholders

 

PPL continues to return value to its shareholders through dividend payments and has been distributing dividends for the past 78 years.

The company expects to increase its EPS in the range of 6-8% annually through 2027, subject to its board’s approval. The current annual dividend is $1.03. The current dividend yield is 3.17% better than the Zacks S&P 500 composite’s 1.59%.

PPL’s continued strength in its earnings and cash flow is expected to assist its management in increasing its dividend. Check PPL’s dividend history here.

PPL’s Stock Currently Trading at a Premium
 

PPL is currently valued at a premium compared to its industry on a forward 12-month P/E basis.

 

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Summary
 

PPL continues to focus on cutting emissions and assisting others to lower emissions through the usage of affordable advanced technology. The company is part of 175 research and development projects with industry and academic partners, which underscores its commitment to the emission reduction process.

The government funding should allow PPL to proceed with the new emission reduction project and make clean electricity more affordable to its customers.

Given this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) utility stock’s high valuation at present, it is better to hold it at present or wait for a better entry point.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

 


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