SCRANTON, PA. – Following the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s (PAPUC) vote Thursday to investigate a proposed rate increase by PPL Electric Utilities Corp., Scranton Mayor Paige G. Cognetti formally requested that one of the upcoming public input hearings be held in the City. This is the third time in less than two years that Mayor Cognetti has sought hearings in Scranton regarding utility rate hikes as part of an ongoing public advocacy mission.
“Scranton residents, businesses, and community organizations are keenly interested in the potential impacts of the proposed increase, and a local forum will ensure that affected stakeholders have a meaningful opportunity to be heard,” Mayor Cognetti wrote in an Oct. 24, 2025, letter to the PAPUC. “A Scranton-based hearing will promote robust, representative input from our community and help inform a complete record.”
“We will challenge the PPL rate increase just as we have challenged water, sewer, and gas rate increases over the last few years,” Scranton City Council President Gerald Smurl said. “Our residents deserve the best, and we will continue to fight for them.”
Previous public advocacy efforts by the city have created positive results for Scranton’s residents.
Following January 2024 hearings held in at the Scranton Cultural Center, the PAPUC cut proposed Pennsylvania-American Water Company (PAWC) increases by more than half the requested rate. Further, the PAPUC also required PAWC to investigate local water quality and service issues. The City was one of eight formal interveners in that proposed PAWC increase.
In February 2025, Mayor Cognetti and the members of Scranton City Council also requested that the PAPUC hold hearings in Scranton about a proposed gas rate increase from UGI Utility. Scranton was not selected as a host city for those hearings, but the effort reflected the ongoing commitment of Scranton’s elected officials to fight for residents’ best interests.
The PAPUC voted October 23 to investigate PPL’s proposed hike, which seeks an annual increase in revenues of $356.3 million, or 33.4 percent, which would raise residential customer bills by an estimated 7 percent. A final PUC decision on the request is due July 1.
ABOUT THE CITY OF SCRANTON: Incorporated in 1866, the City of Scranton has a population of approximately 76,000 residents and is the sixth-largest municipality in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Scranton City Hall is located at 340 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. Residents requiring services should visit www.scrantonpa.gov
ABOUT MAYOR PAIGE G. COGNETTI: Paige G. Cognetti was sworn in as the 36th Mayor of Scranton in January 2020. Her administration is focused on driving economic growth, upgrading infrastructure, ensuring public safety, fostering government transparency and efficiency, and improving residents’ overall quality of life.
Scranton Seeks Hearing on Proposed PPL Rate Hike | Press Release
Last modified: October 28, 2025
