Annie Venatieri of the Alliance to Stop the Line addressed Luzerne County Council and asked the county to engage with residents opposing PPL’s proposed 500‑kilovolt transmission line and data‑center development.

Venatieri said the Alliance is a grassroots group based in the Sugarloaf–Nescopeck area and described the proposed line as using roughly 200‑foot poles (up to 240 feet in some places). She said local residents have signed a petition of more than 12,200 names opposing the project and asked council to meet with the group, inspect proposed route locations and consider a county resolution to protect private property rights and update zoning to address large transmission lines and data‑center development.

Venatieri said the group’s concerns include landscape impacts, property‑value declines, health risks and environmental damage, and that the line primarily serves large developers and tech customers with limited local benefits. A council member asked whether a recent county tax abatement for data‑center construction was related; Venatieri identified colocation and developer interest near a Berwick nuclear facility and recommended a white paper by Mike Turner of Loudoun County, Va., for additional context.

Venatieri asked that the county review zoning and “by‑right” measures with county planning and zoning to ensure responsible development. County staff indicated they would accept handouts and post them publicly. Council did not vote on a resolution at the meeting; Venatieri asked for follow‑up meetings with council members and planning staff.