USA, Pennsylvania, Allentown: PPL Electric Utilities has announced plans to build new transmission lines and a substation in South Whitehall Township, near a proposed large data centre development spanning 165 ha (410 acres) across from Parkland High School.
Lehigh County property records indicate that PPL recently acquired over 12 ha (30 acres) near Huckleberry Road and Herman Lane for the project. The substation would be located north of Huckleberry Road, adjacent to PPL’s existing Susquehanna-Wescosville transmission line. The nearby Siegfried-Wescosville line would be split and extended to the new substation, while other existing lines would be routed into it.
From the substation, three new transmission lines would run east about 2.4 km (1.5 mi) to serve a “new customer facility.” While PPL has not disclosed the customer, the distance corresponds to the site of the Atlas Industrial data centre project, which plans six buildings totaling over 464,500 m2 (5 million sq ft).
PPL is negotiating easements with local landowners along the proposed 76-m- (250-foot-) wide corridor. If agreements cannot be reached, the company will seek approval from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to use eminent domain.
“This project is designed to enhance reliability and resilience for all customers, providing additional pathways for electricity delivery while meeting growing demand in the area,” a PPL spokesperson said.
The overhead transmission lines are preferred due to lower costs, easier maintenance, and reduced disruption compared with underground construction. Work on the Orefield Project is expected to start this summer, pending PUC approval, and conclude by summer 2028.
Source: WFMZ.com
