HARRISBURG — The state’s high court has ordered the release of investigative records concerning electric utility PPL’s response to a 2011 power outage that resulted in a $60,000 fine from utility regulators.

The state Supreme Court’s 4-2 decision last week reinstated an Office of Open Records order to release the records. A group of news organizations had appealed a lower-court ruling backing the Public Utility Commission’s effort to keep the records secret.

The investigative records include an anonymous letter from a PPL employee that said a crew restoring power in a high-priority area was diverted to a lower-priority area during the snowstorm, which cut power to about 388,000 customers. More than 131,000 customers were without electricity for more than 24 hours.

Justice Max Baer’s opinion said utility law is clear in allowing the public to see what the utility commission considered before entering a settlement agreement with a public utility. He said redactions may be used to shield a confidential source’s identity.

PPL, formally PPL Electric Utilities Corp., is based in Allentown. It serves 1.4 million customers.