PPL power line play

Pike County prefers southernmost ‘Route C’

By TOM KANE

PIKE COUNTY, PA - PPL Electric Utilities has three options for the construction of new power lines in its proposed Susquehanna-Roseland power line project. They call them Routes A, B and C.

The proposed power line would begin at the PPL plant in Berwick and travel to a public utility station in Roseland, NJ. The new line, which will be an upgrade or re-siting of an existing line built in the 1920s and restrung in the 1950s, is being required by PJM, a wholesale electricity market serving the Eastern United States.

A number of people in Pike are clearly against Routes A and B and are organizing campaigns against them.

Route A would pass across the Delaware River north of Milford. Route B would pass through near Bushkill Road in Lehman Township, and cut through the Water Gap National Recreation area. Ninety five percent of Route B runs along existing rights of way, but with the proposed 250-foot towers, much of the route would need to be widened from approximately 150 to 200 feet. Route C would cross the river near Martins Creek, north of Phillipsburg and Easton.

Recognizing the need for improving and expanding electrical services to the area, Scott Weiland, executive director of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce, said that his board favors Route C.

Weiland presented a letter he wrote to PPL to the Pike County Commissioners on July 18.

“Route C will minimize negative impacts on the environment, as it is the shortest distance from Berwick to New Jersey and avoids our precious and limited green space,” Weiland said. “This route can best prevent overloads and blackouts and will help provide a stable delivery of dependable energy to fuel the growth of our region’s economy.”

Weiland, who lives in New Jersey, told the commissioners that groups across the river will campaign against the two options, mainly by producing and displaying signs of protest around the community.

A group of Milford residents, lead by Doug Cunningman, is also making protest signs and displaying them around the area. “Anyone wishing to get a free sign can get one at Luhr’s Hardware on Route 6,” he said.

“In order to emphasize local opposition to Routes A and B, it will be important to let the public utilities commissions of both Pennsylvania and New Jersey know of our opposition,” Weiland said. “PPL will not oppose the public utility commissions if they support only Route C. It’s important that the commissions know our position.”

Nelia Wall, supervisor of Shohola Township, who was present at the meeting, said a Shohola group is also opposing the two options and will be displaying signs around the community.

The decision to select a route is scheduled to be made by mid-August.