Dec. 9, 2025
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
Customers get their chance to oppose PPL Corp.’s planned rate increase at a hearing in Catasauqua tonight.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) will hold in-person and telephone hearings about PPL Electric Utilities’ request to charge more to deliver electricity to customers’ homes. The PUC says the average residential customer would pay $12.39 more per month if the increase goes through as requested.
So this is your chance, unless you want to go to a hearing elsewhere or call in. Here’s a link to the PUC’s list of hearings, with instructions on registering for the telephone options.
Note, the delivery rate increase is separate from the cost of electricity used. Shop for the best electricity prices at papowerswitch.com. I check it at least weekly.
Here a few quick points about the proposed increase:
What is PPL’s case for the rate hike?
The Allentown-based utility said Sept. 30 it needs to invest in its grid to “withstand severe weather.” It also plans to spend on automation to reduce outages, and it will improve customer service.
I’m a PPL customer in Bethlehem. I’ve experienced more brief outages in the past year than usual. On the other hand, in 27 years, we’ve only had two long power outages.
When was the last increase for electricity distribution?
From the PPL statement: “The company’s last distribution base rate change occurred on Jan. 1, 2016.”
What is the PUC’s role?
PPL Electric Utilities, a unit of PPL Corp., has a monopoly on delivering electricity in much of the Lehigh Valley, so in turn, proposed increases are subject to PUC review and to public comment. The PUC says this rate increase would boost PPL’s revenue by $356 million.
Is this planned increase a surprise?
No. PPL has said before that it would not seek a rate increase in Pennsylvania until at least 2026, but suddenly, 2026 is almost here. No rate increase will take place until sometime next year.
What has PPL done to keep costs down?
Chief Executive Vincent Sorgi has said that PPL has kept increases in operations and maintenance expenses (referred to as O&M) below the rate of inflation.
What can customers do? Well, there’s always hope, and below, a few more options.
They can attend a hearing. See links above.
They can go off the grid, and live like Grizzly Adams. The real Grizzly Adams, not the guy in the movies. Good luck with that.
They can use less electricity. I’m cheap with energy, but my December bill just arrived and it’s more than double what it was in November. It might not be winter until Dec. 21, but it feels like it now. Of course, my bill always jumps at this time of year. Still, I am paying less than PPL’s default rate because I shop around.
They can freeze in the dark? There are options for help with electric bills. Here’s a link to a Pennsylvania program for low-income residents.
Reality: I expect an increase, and PPL will probably get most or all of what it wants. It’s been preparing for this for a long time. The PUC will listen to everybody but PPL is a $25 billion company. It has a monopoly on delivering electricity in much of the Lehigh Valley and nearby regions, so we have to accept whatever happens.
Tonight is the Lehigh Valley’s chance to make a case to the PUC. There are other hearings, check this link for details and registration requirements.
The PUC hearing on PPL’s planned increase will start at 6 p.m. tonight (Tuesday, Dec. 9) at the Catasauqua Municipal Building, 90 Bridge St. in Catasauqua.
Just an aside, I wonder why they chose that location?
Meanwhile, stock in PPL (NYSE:PPL) was trading at $34.11, up 18 cents, at 11:56 a.m. today.
— Disclosure: I own shares in PPL. The dividend is adequate, with a yield right now of 3.2%. It probably won’t cover my electric bill.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 
PPL Electric is regulated, meaning the PUC has an obligation to review many items including rate increases. However, it also has an obligation to allow PPL Electric a reasonable return on its investment. That is the trade off if you want a grid (which is needed) and not have the wild west with multiple lines from potentially multiple transmission companies competing for your business. (I can guarantee you that would be less efficient and more expensive.)
People often ask why large power lines are not buried in the ground. They never think of the cost of construction, the right of way, the limits on intrusion into those rights of way and the cost of recovery for such system. The complaining would dwarf what is going on now.
The PUC is part of the process and there is a consumer watchdog who also looks out for the consumer in this scenario.
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This explanation leaves out half the story. Yes, PPL is regulated and the PUC reviews rates, but the “reasonable return” framework guarantees the utility a profit on capital spending, which shapes the entire system. Saying competition would be a “wild west” is just the standard monopoly script. And undergrounding isn’t impossible—it’s used in many places when reliability justifies the cost. The watchdog exists, but the structure still gives the utility most of the leverage. This isn’t a neutral take; it’s a utility-aligned narrative presented as fact.
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