PPL Electric Utilities will hold an open house next Tuesday, March 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Throop Civic Center to discuss a major infrastructure expansion designed to support a surge of proposed data center campuses. According to PPL’s project website, the plan includes constructing 12 miles of new 230 kV transmission lines, three new switchyards, and a new substation named the "Archbald Mountain Substation." While the open house is being held in Throop, the physical infrastructure is largely centered in Archbald, with power lines and facilities proposed for the rugged terrain on both the east and west sides of the borough to connect massive industrial loads to the regional grid.
The project, which PPL expects to build between 2027 and 2030, is a direct response to the "AI boom" that has seen developers propose over 50 individual data center buildings within Archbald's 17-square-mile border. PPL officials state that the new substation and switchyards—including the Winton, Sturges, and Callender Gap sites—are necessary to strengthen regional reliability and provide the high-voltage pathways required by these new large-scale customers. However, the proposal has drawn significant scrutiny from residents who fear the 250-foot-wide right-of-way corridors and massive steel monopoles will permanently scar the local landscape and impact property values near Staback Park and other residential areas.
