Frequently Asked Questions

Why did you choose Route B over Routes A and C?
Substantial public input was received about all the proposed routes. We believe that Route B will have fewer impacts on the community and the environment than either Route A or Route C. Route B follows an existing power line for the great majority (more than 90 percent) of its length and requires much less tree clearing and acquisition of new right of way than the other alternatives.

Where will it run?
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 an existing power line for almost its entire distance. Click here to view map.

Why is this line needed?
The PJM Interconnection, our regional power pool, has determined that the power line is needed to ensure reliability of electricity supplies in our region. Demand for electricity is growing sharply, and new lines are needed to meet that demand.

When will it be built?
We expect to meet PJM's requested in-service date of May 2012.

How much will it cost?
Current estimates are that the Pennsylvania portion of the line will cost about $510 million.
 
Who will pay the cost of the line?
The cost will be shared by the 51 million electric customers in the PJM region.

What is PJM?
It’s the nonprofit agency that manages the electricity grid in the northeastern United States. The PJM Interconnection serves 51 million electric customers in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Why does PJM believe this line is needed?
The line is needed to ensure regional electric system reliability. PJM analyses have shown that 23 other power lines in the region will become overloaded if the Susquehanna-Roseland line is not built. The line is needed to reduce overloading and alleviate congestion on existing power lines. The line will have significant benefits for Pennsylvania electric customers, and throughout the region.

What are the benefits to people in Pennsylvania?
There are several significant benefits to electric customers in Pennsylvania:

• First, the line will help the region’s utilities meet demand for electricity, which has been increasing rapidly.

• Second, the line will shore up the high-voltage electric delivery system in our region, making it less likely that a problem with one power line would lead to a regional blackout like the one that affected millions of people in August 2003.

• Third, the line will prevent overloads on existing power lines in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

What about electric and magnetic fields?
Electric and magnetic fields are present wherever there is a flow of electric current, whether in wires in the home, electrical appliances or power lines. Electric fields are produced by the voltage or electrical pressure in a wire and are present even if an appliance is turned off, as long as it is connected to a source of electric power. Magnetic fields are produced whenever there is a flow of electric current through a wire. Electric and magnetic fields are not visible, like other fields such as a gravitational field or a temperature field.

For more information on EMF, click here.

Could this line be built underground?
No. Building underground is not feasible for a line of this size. There are a number of reasons for this: It takes six underground lines to equal the capacity of a single overhead line. If damaged, underground lines can take weeks to repair, a delay which could seriously jeopardize the stability of the grid. Underground lines are not invisible -- each underground line requires a 30- to 50-foot right-of-way stripped of all vegetation and trees. The amount of excavation needed is far greater than what is needed for an overhead line. Underground lines can cost up to ten times more to build. For these reasons, there are no underground 500,000-volt lines in the United States.