Hyman Calls PPL Building First

A decade ago, before the NIZ became reality, Tony Iannelli hosted a Business Matters program to debate its relative merits. It pitted NIZ cheerleaders Sy Traub, realtor Jeff Barber and political goon Mike Fleck (now a convicted felon) against critics that included Lehigh Finance professor and real estate guru Steve Thode as well as Allentown blogger Michael Molovinsky. (I had been invited to participate, but Fleck insisted that I be banned or his team would boycott). When Molovinsky complained about the disappearance of Latino merchants on Hamilton Street, Barber called them a "cancer." During that debate, which basically consisted of Fleck yelling for 30 minutes straight, Steve Thode predicted that PPL would eventually be coaxed into moving from its current location and into the NIZ, a few blocks east. Morning Call columnist Bill White dismissed Thode's "wild claims" and "hysteria," but Steve has been proved correct.

What will happen to the PPL building? My prediction is that Allentown developer Nat Hyman will try to purchase it for workforce housing, but he'll be shot down. He refuses to hold his hand out for public money, which makes it very hard for grifters hoping to get a piece of public pie.

Northampton County Scrambles to Minimize Electricity Rate Hike

Northampton County's electricity needs are met by two major utilities, Met Ed and PPL. Next year, when the cap is lifted on PPL, it is expected to increase rates between 37 1/2% and 40%. That translates to about $200 thousand out of the county coffers in the middle of a recession. So last night, Deputy Purchasing manager Terry Beidelman proposed purchasing energy through the Lancaster County Consortium, locking in a rate now for services next year. As Beidelman explained, "We are trying to take the initiative to do something rather than hide our heads in the sand."

Council Prez McHale worried that "There's really been no discussion at all," and Lamont McClure suggested that the price may go down after we lock in a rate. Charles Dertinger, who last night claimed to be an expert on electricity, suggested we use some other cooperative for some reason. And they all wanted to know why Lehigh County has opted out of this consortium.

"That's because PPL is right up the street from them," posited John Cusick.

Council voted to authorize County Executive John Stoffa to lock in the electricity rate. McHale, McClure and Dertinger voted against the notion. I think they want to run a giant extension cord from Nazareth.

Hey PPL, How About an "Open House" in a Community Affected by Your High Power Bug Zappers?

If you live anywhere in the northern hinterlands of Lehigh or Northampton County, you might soon see (and hear) a 500,000-volt power line going through your back yard.

Buzzzzzzzzzzz.

In Northampton County, the proposed line runs through Lehigh, Moore, Bushkill, Plainfield and Lower Mount Bethel Townships. This, of course, is for our own good because PPL just loves us to pieces. Besides, it should zap some of those pesky insects.

To prove its sincerity, this gigantic power company has just conducted a few "open houses" concerning its proposed Lehigh Valley route, known as Route C. I went to the Northampton meeting, ate sugar cookies and talked to PPL dudes and dudettes in green shirts. They were very nice. They even sent me a "thank you" letter.

"I wanted to take a minute to extend my personal thanks to you ... blah, blah, blah." The letter was addressed to "Neighbor."

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Funny thing.

No power line is going through Northampton. So why the hell would PPL schedule a meeting there? If they were hoping that farmers in Northampton County boonies would get lost, they were mistaken. They must have us mixed up with Lehigh County. The dudes and dudettes in green shirts must have sent out a lot of "Dear Neighbor" letters.

And now Northampton County Council has unanimously adopted a last-minute Ron Angle resolution demanding that PPL conduct another "open house" in one of the communities actually affected by the power line. Angle is already threatening to picket PPL and chain himself to Johnny Mañana's (that's with a ñ, damn it!) until Allentown Mayor Pawlowski brings a part-time cop to arrest him. The Ron Angle One.

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Drop the Lines also reports that Lehigh Township Supervisors may tonight vote to oppose the power line for economic and environmental reasons and stuff like that.

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

State Rep. Dally to PPL: We Don't Need No Steenkin' Power Line

Rep. Craig Dally (R-Northampton) is a legislator whose gerrymandered district includes Bushkill and Moore Townships. Those two townships are in one of three possible paths being considered by PPL for a new, 150 mile long, high voltage power line extending from Berwick, PA to Roseland, NJ. Dally has told PPL to keep this power line out of the Lehigh Valley.

Here's part of Craig's letter.

PPL has identified three possible routes for this project. Route A begins at the PPL Electric Utilities switching station near Berwick and travels northeast through Luzerne and Lackawanna counties on a path of an existing 230-kV power line. The line then travels east through Lackawanna and Wayne counties primarily on the path of existing power lines before heading east-southeast through Pike County.

Route B begins at the PPL Electric Utilities switching station near Berwick and travels through Luzerne, Lackawanna and Wayne counties on the same power line rights of way as Route A. Route B separates from Route A at a point northeast of Lake Wallenpaupack and travels south through the Delaware State Forest on the path of an existing 230-kV power line.

Route C begins at the PPL Electric Utilities switching station near Berwick and travels south primarily on an existing future-use right of way through Luzerne and Schuylkill counties. The line then travels east primarily on future-use or existing transmission power line routes in Schuylkill and Lehigh counties. The line then moves east-northeast through Northampton County on the path of an existing power line.

As the State Representative for the 138th House District, I am writing to formally oppose proposed Route C. After reviewing the information concerning this Route, 1 believe that another option would be best in order to achieve the stated goals of PPL to improve electric service reliability and ensure that existing infrastructure is not overloaded. I believe that planning such an expansive project on "future-use right of ways" or "future-use transmission power line routes'' unnecessarily burdens the citizens of the 13 8th District while other options use existing power line rights of way.

Further, I have heard from many constituents who received PPL's notice concerning the Susquehanna-Roseland Power Line and they have encouraged me to express opposition to Route C based on potential environmental impacts, impacts on scenic and historical sites, existing land use, and plant and wildlife habitats. I believe that during the public comment period, these views will be echoed by many individuals.

I appreciate the need for PPL Electric Utilities to address the growing infrastructure needs of Pennsylvania's power network. I take you at your word when you say, "We understand that this kind of work can cause concerns for nearby residents. We are being extremely careful to balance the need to build this project with our responsibility to care for the environment and to minimize the impact on nearby residents." I believe that after the series of public input meetings concerning Route C, PPL will come to the same conclusion that I am advocating here - that Route C is not the best option for this project.

Big Coal: The Real Reason Why PPL Wants Those Power Lines

"Damn the carcinogens, full speed ahead!"

PPL is coming through, baby. It's laying down a new power line from Berwick, PA to Roseland, NJ, cutting a 200' wide path over a 100 mile distance in PA. There's little we can do to stop this Giant Energizer Bunny, either. Let's say our state regulators in the PUC, by some miracle, actually dare to say no. PPL can simply run to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and get eminent domain powers.

PPL tells us this is for our own good because it will prevent blackouts and power overloads. I don't know about you, but I haven't noticed any blackouts here in the Lehigh Valley. Not even a brownout. In fact, Pennsylvania is actually an exporter of electricity.

Since who's the real beneficiary?

Big Coal, baby. The Black Gods. The same bastards who killed most of my relatives in the coal regions. The lucky ones died in mine collapses. Many more suffered for years with black lung disease. It has killed thousands, devastating the environment in the process, making much of the coal regions look like a barren wasteland. But Big Coal is back, baby, hotter and darker than ever. Each American now consumes twenty pounds of coal every day, just to keep those air conditioners and toasters hummin'.

After all, it's patriotic. Big Coal will free us from Big Oil and those dirty Arabs. PPL will be expanding electricity generation at its coal-fired Washingtonville plant near Berwick. And guess what? It just dumped $600 million into the site for new scrubbers and a drywall factory.

It's not all bad news. After all, we do get to pick one of three routes for this 500 KV line. PPL even created a web page so we can play engineer and NIMBYs can argue with each other. But there's no real choice. What this power company is doing is just like giving a prison inmate three choices on a brand of Vaseline. No matter what route is chosen, we're going to get screwed.

Attorney Wil Burns, who represents the Sierra Club, believes these power lines are a mistake for the following reasons: (1) wasted energy (when electricity is shipped over long distances, it loses ten per cent of its power); (2) security (those dirty Arabs will slice the lines and force us to buy Big Oil); (3) higher electricity costs (who do you think will be paying for those power lines?); and (4) air pollution (coal-fired generators contribute three-fifths of all sulfur dioxide, one-third of all mercury, and one-fifth of all nitrogen oxide emissions in the United States).

I have another concern. Although energy officials deny that high voltage lines present a health hazard, the reports I've seen about childhood leukemia and cancer are shocking. I'd like to hear from someone who has no financial interest in this matter.

A grassroots movement of citizens from Lehigh and Moore Township is mobilized, and has already established a blog, DroptheLines, to oppose PPL's greedy scheme "to maximize profits by taking advantage of a poor decision by the Department of Energy that favors the profit of a large company over the well-being of Pennsylvania’s residents and favors coal and nuclear power over clean alternatives."

Tonight, between 5 and 8 PM, PPL's latest money-making attempt will be presented at Northampton Community Center, 1601 Laubach Ave., Northampton, PA 18067.

Wayne Grube Sticks it to the Man

Twelve years after the fact, The Morning Call now explains how PPL managed to slip in a bill deregulating the entire electric industry. State senator Lisa Boscola piously condemns it. But as Bethlehem Dem reports, Boscola is actually one of the many legislators who voted for it. Between 2001 and 2007, Boscola raked in $4,600 from PPL's PAC. What's even more mind boggling, at least to me, is her bizarre claim that her chief of staff may be leaving so he can work in the "energy industry."

Bethlehem Dem concludes Boscola is an "opportunistic hypocrite who takes opposing sides of the same issue when it is convenient for her." Hopefully, this little ditty will cheer him up.

At last Thursday's county council meeting, a routine easement to PPL was on the agenda. The county was being asked to grant this soon-to-be-deregulated company an easement over county land. Council was assured this easement imposed no burden on the county and that the land itself is worthless.

But council refused to grant the easement, insisting that there be two appraisals first, and that PPL pay for them. When an engineer got up to complain, former council prez Wayne Grube had a very quick answer. "I don't know how in the world we can feel sorry for that utility. Those people have the funds to pay for an appraisal." Even Angle was persuaded.

After the meeting was over, I saw Wayne and told him, "You really stuck it to the man!" He barked, "Yeah, and now when I go home, all my lights will be off."