PPL Electric is looking to better serve its customers by continuing to upgrade distribution poles.

On Tuesday, the Carbon County Planning Commission reviewed a technical document from Penn Environmental and Remediation Inc., on behalf of PPL Electric Utilities Corp. regarding an application for a water obstructions and encroachment permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection. The permit, if approved, would allow PPL to complete its Lehigh River Distribution Crossing Upgrades project in Jim Thorpe."The purpose of the project is to replace arms on the east distribution pole and west distribution pole on each side of the Lehigh River," Penn Environmental and Remediation stated in its letter to the county.The project will include the installation of 300 feet of new conductor and new arms on two existing poles "to improve reliability to customers in the surrounding area," the project description states. No earth disturbance will occur with the project.The upgrade will take place from the borough sewer plant, across the Lehigh River and over to Susquehanna Street. No time frame for the project has been announced.No formal action by the planning commission was required.The proposed PPL upgrade project is similar to an upgrade project PPL completed in 2016 across the Lehigh River following the opening of the new Route 903 bridge.These are part of a reliability improvement project to provide customers with fewer power interruptions.