PPL secures 11-plus square miles in Archbald, Upvalley for power plants
PPL Corp. and Blackstone's joint venture has secured over 11 square miles in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, to explore building two natural gas power plants for future data centers. This move has sparked immediate and strong opposition from local residents and officials concerned about environmental impacts, water sources, and the large-scale industrialization of the area. The company states plans are preliminary and contingent on securing a data center customer.
PPL Corp. and Blackstone Infrastructure's joint venture, Invitium Energy LLC, has acquired rights to purchase more than 11 square miles (7,200 acres) of land in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. The acquisition spans Archbald, Carbondale, Carbondale Township, Fell Township, and Mayfield, with plans to potentially construct at least two natural gas power plants totaling 2.25 gigawatts to supply future data centers. The timing of the land memorandums in April and June coincided with requests filed with PJM to add this power generation capacity.
The announcement has ignited significant local opposition, with Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan expressing fury over the county being "offered up as the sacrificial lamb of the AI revolution." Residents, led by the "Stop Archbald Data Centers" movement, voiced concerns about environmental degradation, air pollution from natural gas plants, and the proximity of potential development to the Brownell Reservoir, a vital public drinking water source.
PPL Corp. spokesman Ryan Hill emphasized the preliminary nature of the plans, stating that while land rights have been secured to evaluate suitability, development is not guaranteed and requires a signed agreement with a large data center customer. He also noted that no applications have yet been submitted to local municipalities. Despite the company's assurances, community leaders like State Rep. Kyle Mullins and Commissioner Gaughan are demanding transparency and urging Governor Josh Shapiro to intervene, citing the overwhelming "speculative data center development" in the region and the need to protect communities.