4.8.09 The Morning Call: PPL readies replacement for 91-year-old power line

PPL Electric Utilities will be updating  an extremely old power line next year, protecting thousands of homes and businesses from power outages, reports The Morning Call.  The new line will have twice the capacity as the old line, in order to meet increasing demand for electricity.

The 6.7-mile transmission line runs through Hanover, Lower Nazareth, Allen, East Allen and Bethlehem townships to deliver electricity to 7,600 PPL customers, according to the company.

PPL expects to begin construction in April 2010 and begin operation of the new line in May 2011. The project entails removing a series of 80- to 85-foot tall towers that shoulder the transmission line, replacing those towers with poles of similar height and installing a new transmission line.

”Our primary goal is to keep our electric system reliable for our customers, and this project is part of ongoing work to upgrade our power delivery system,” said David Schleicher, the company’s vice president of transmission. ”Rebuilding this line will improve reliability for customers in the area and help us meet the growing demand for electricity today and in the years to come.”

 The line was built so long ago that the easement in some spots is too narrow, company spokeswoman Lissette Santana said. So the company will offer money to some property owners along the line in order to widen the easement, she said.

The new line does not require approval from the state Public Utility Commission because it is replacing an old line, Santana said.