ALLENTOWN, Pa., Aug. 5 /EMWNews/ -- After an exhaustive

study process that included 10 public input workshops throughout the region

and numerous discussions with residents, elected officials and others, PPL

Electric Utilities has chosen Route B as the route for the

Susquehanna-Roseland power line project in Pennsylvania.



    The selected route runs north from Berwick, Pa., past Wilkes-Barre and

Scranton, then east to Hawley and southeast to Bushkill where it crosses

the Delaware River. It follows existing power lines for almost its entire

distance.



    The New Jersey portion of the power line, from the river to Roseland,

N.J., will be built by Public Service Electric & Gas Co.



    "Two of our main goals were to minimize the impact of this project on

residents near the line, and on the environment," said David E. Schleicher,

vice president - Transmission. "We are convinced that this is the best

route to accomplish those goals while providing very real reliability

benefits for electric customers in eastern Pennsylvania and throughout the

region."



    The 500-kilovolt power line is needed to handle increasing customer

demand for electricity that could otherwise lead to overloads and even

blackouts on the regional power grid. Because overloads can have widespread

regional effects, the line will benefit all electric customers in the

region, regardless of where they live or which electric company serves

their needs, Schleicher said.



    He pointed out that the regional blackout of 2003 -- which started with

power line failures in Ohio -- spread as far as New York City, leaving

nearly 50 million people without electricity. "The regional electricity

transmission system is only as strong as its weakest link," Schleicher

said.



    The PJM Interconnection, which oversees reliability planning for the

regional power grid, identified the need for the new line and assigned PPL

Electric Utilities to build the Pennsylvania portion.



    PJM determined that if this upgrade is not made by May 2012, there is

the potential for overloads on other power lines. The danger is greatest

during periods when demand is highest -- the hottest summer days and the

coldest winter nights.



    Because this type of power line provides regional benefits, its cost is

shared by all electric customers in PJM, a region of 51 million people

encompassing 13 states and the District of Columbia.



    "We understand that new power lines -- even if they are built where

existing lines now stand -- can cause concern for nearby residents,"

Schleicher said. "We will work very hard with individual property owners to

answer their questions and address their concerns about this project as we

move forward."



    PPL Electric Utilities evaluated three possible routes for the line.

Two of the possible routes went north through Luzerne, Lackawanna, Wayne

and Pike counties. The third possible route went south through Schuylkill,

Lehigh and Northampton counties.



    The decision to choose Route B was made after careful consideration of

impacts along all three routes, and after considering public input. PPL

Electric Utilities received extensive comments from interested people along

all three routes, including comments made in person at public input

workshops, by phone using a special toll-free number, and by e-mail from

the project's Web site, http://www.pplreliablepower.com.



    The company will ask the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to

approve the route in an application that is expected to be filed in the

fourth quarter of 2008. The PUC review process, which also includes input

from the public, could take as long as a year. The line is scheduled to be

in service by May 2012.



    Construction of the line will provide an economic boost to the region

of at least $100 million over three years, creating 165 to 330 construction

jobs during that period, according to an economic impact study conducted by

the Penn State Workforce Education and Development Initiative Team.



    "This project will help ensure that PPL Electric Utilities can continue

its long-standing record of providing excellent and reliable electric

service to our customers in Pennsylvania, while supporting continued

electric service reliability for all electric customers across the region,"

Schleicher said.



    PPL Electric Utilities Corporation, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation

that provides electricity delivery services to about 1.4 million customers

in Pennsylvania, has consistently ranked among the best companies for

customer service in the United States. More information is available at

http://www.pplelectric.com.