PPL Electric Utilities Pays $4 Million for 230 Acres in Archbald for Transmission Upgrades

PPL Electric Utilities spent $4 million to acquire just over 230 acres in Archbald, Pennsylvania, from Archbald residents Joseph W. and Nancy S. Kotcho through a deed in lieu of condemnation, an alternative to eminent domain. Yahoo reported the property transaction was recorded October 22 by the Lackawanna County recorder of deeds.

PPL Electric's $4 Million Archbald Land Deal

PPL Electric Utilities is a regulated electric distribution utility serving 1.5 million customers across 29 Pennsylvania counties, according to company records. The utility plans to upgrade transmission lines as part of a Midvalley-based project involving new power lines and infrastructure spanning the sites of multiple proposed data center campuses.

The property lies south of Lackawanna County's Aylesworth Park on both sides of the Casey Highway and is segmented by the highway and existing PPL transmission lines. It also includes undeveloped land in the Number 5 Hill section of Archbald between Rock Street and the Lackawanna River, continuing south toward Church Street. The Kotchos retain a swath of land below Lackawanna Street and Hudson Street near the Archbald and Jermyn border.

PPL Electric spokeswoman Dana N. Burns said in an emailed statement that the property was acquired for the utility's transmission system, not for a data center or power plant. "We acquired the Archbald property through a negotiated agreement with the property owners," Burns said. "Planning and development activities are still preliminary, and we do not have additional details to share at this time regarding specific facilities that may be located on the property or potential construction timelines."

PPL Corporation, the utility's parent, secured more than 11 square miles of northern Lackawanna County this year as part of a joint venture with Blackstone Infrastructure and Invitium Energy to explore building power plants for data centers. Burns wrote that the utility's land acquisition is separate from that joint venture.

PPL Electric's Data Center Rate Class

According to akta.pro company records, PPL Electric launched a large-load rate class for data centers and high-usage customers in July 2026 requiring binding 10-year commitments and producing $11 million annually starting in 2027 for low-income assistance through a non-bypassable charge. The same records show the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approved the utility's first base distribution rate increase since 2016 in June 2026, authorizing a $275 million annual revenue increase effective July 1, 2026, settling an original $356.3 million request.

Earlier PPL Electric Transmission Filings

In September 2026, PPL Electric Utilities was selected for up to $71.5 million in U.S. Department of Energy funding to modernize 29.3 miles of transmission lines in Pennsylvania, PR Newswire reported. The project will use advanced conductors and distributed acoustic sensing to improve reliability and capacity.

Also in September 2026, PPL Electric filed a proposal with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to replace its transmission charge with a Customer Protection Transmission Rider, making costs more visible and shifting certain transmission costs to large energy users, Stock Titan reported.

November Hearing on Stanton Summit Project

The Pennsylvania DEP will hold a public hearing in Scranton on November 20 for a proposed PPL transmission upgrade, Yahoo reported. The hearing addresses potential stormwater runoff from the Stanton Summit 1 & 2 69 kV Line Rebuild Project, which could affect Keyser Creek.