Students at Butte Central High School now have a new computer lab, thanks to a donation of equipment from PPL Montana.

The computers are being used to teach computer awareness and desktop publishing classes, according to Tim Norbeck, principal of Butte Central. Students also use them for career education and in accounting classes.

“We are grateful to PPL Montana for this generous donation, which has greatly enhanced our students’ computer education opportunities,” said Norbeck. “We certainly could not have afforded to purchase this equipment on our own.”

Norbeck also thanked business teacher Kathy Redekopp and volunteer parents John and Leaona Anderwald for their help in setting up the lab.

The donation included 20 personal computers, along with a printer and a scanner.

“PPL Montana is pleased to be able to make this contribution to the students at Butte Central. This is an excellent example of the PPL family’s ongoing commitment to education, economic development and community involvement,” said David Hoffman, spokesman for PPL Montana.

Hoffman noted that PPL Montana has committed $23 million over 10 years for recreation, water quality, fishing and wildlife along the Madison and Missouri rivers. The company also supports many community needs, funds education programs, provides hiking trails and recreation areas near its hydroelectric dams, and is a major sponsor of the Lewis and Clark anniversary celebration.

PPL Montana has offices in Billings, Butte and Helena. With more than 500 employees, the company operates the coal-fired Colstrip and Corette power plants and 11 hydroelectric facilities along the Missouri, Flathead, Clark Fork and Madison rivers and Rosebud Creek. PPL EnergyPlus, another PPL subsidiary, operates an energy trading floor in Butte that markets and sells power in the wholesale energy market.

PPL Montana is a subsidiary of PPL Corporation (PPL: NYSE). Headquartered in Allentown, Pa., PPL controls or owns nearly 11,500 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets and delivers electricity to customers in Pennsylvania, the United Kingdom and Latin America.