HAWLEY - PPL Electric Utilities held an open house in the Wallenpaupack High School Auditorium to share information about its three potential routes for a new electric transmission line in eastern and northeastern Pennsylvania. There was no set agenda for the three-hour open house, intended allow people to put questions to the various PPL personnel present.

Seven stations were set up around the auditorium which allowed people with questions to speak to a PPL representative at that station. The stations were: Welcome and Sign In, Overview Of Current Power Lines, Summary Of The Route Selection Process, Detail On Planned Work, Project Schedule, Energy Efficiency, and How You Can Stay Informed.

“Nobody wants power outages to occur”, said PPL spokesman Paul Wirth. “That’s the point of the new line. It’s needed to help with the growing demand of electricity in eastern and northeastern Pennsylvania.”  

Wirth estimated that PPL would decide by August which line to go with and that the PUC would take about a year after that to make a final decision.

Steve Olinick, a transmission planner for the Northeast Region, explained how the new line would help out 23 other transmission lines that are in danger of being overloaded with increased power demands.

”We need to reinforce the network”, Olinick said. “We need the installation of a new 500 kilovolt transmission line between the switching station in Berwick, Pa. and the PSE&G Roseland substation in Roseland, NJ. This is one of the specific upgrades required.”

“Historic buildings along the chosen line will have to be reported, photographed, and have the appropriate paperwork filled out,” said archaeologist Rod Brown. “We have to make sure that all historic buildings within a 1000 ft. corridor on either side of the line are accounted for,” he said.

Some people at the various stations were concerned with such things as will the line come near my house, will the parks be protected, can you take my property, and when will the line be completed?

Another open house will be held tonight, from 5 to 8, at the Fernwood Resort, near the point where Route alternative “B” would cross the Delaware.  Another local input session has been added for next Monday night, 5 to 8, at the Best Western in Westfall Township, near where Route alternative “A” would cross the river.

People with questions can go online to www.pplreliablepower.com.