PPL is looking to build a substation and miles of new power lines in the same borough, which is seeing an influx of data center development.
LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — At a discussion in Scott Township about proposed power lines, the line was pretty clear to the people here, connecting this PPL project to proposed data center projects in Lackawanna County.
“Most of this program was to show us how they put one in, put it in the grid, and we’re thinking, we don’t want it!” says Jack Swingle of Archbald.
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PPL’s so-called Archbald Mountain project would see a new power substation in Archbald and new switchyards along with eight miles of power lines that would run through Archbald, Jessup, Olyphant, and Jefferson Township.
“Well, I came here to see what’s planned and what stages of planning are happening right now, if it’s a ‘done deal’ or not. And every post that we’re going to, it seems like no one can give us true answers,” says Mary Therese McKane of Archbald.
Most of the people here were concerned about the project’s impact on one industry: data centers. Specifically, the six data center campuses proposed in Archbald.
“If it weren’t for the data centers, and several people in my group asked that, if it weren’t for the data centers, would you be doing this? And some of them answered, ‘Well, we can’t say for sure, but the grid needs to be built out,” says Madonna Munley of Archbald Borough Council.
PPL officials say the new transmission lines are still necessary to support the existing grid. “This project is really needed in two parts, first it’s to maintain reliability for every customer we serve, and then also connect new customers. One of those customers is a data center in this area,” says PPL Director of Communications Dana Burns.
And those officials stress that any investments the utility makes to support data center development need to be paid for by the data center.
“When we’re looking at connecting any new customer, any large load, like a data center, those large customers pay directly for the transmission and infrastructure needed to serve their business. We have safeguards in place.”
That provided some solace to the people here, but they see this as just the next battle in a long fight.
“I think our only recourse is what we’re doing, we’re standing up, the Archbald people and a lot of people from the outside are standing up to these data centers and saying we don’t want this to happen to us,” adds Swingle.
PPL’s Archbald Mountain project is scheduled to begin next summer and wrap up sometime in 2030.