HARRISBURG – State Rep. Camille “Bud” George, D-74 of Clearfield County, said that the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has thrown out a proposal that would have split the 814 area code and placed some of its customers into a new area code.
“I’m very happy to see that for the foreseeable future, the 814 area code will remain intact,” George said. “For the residents of Clearfield County who would have been affected by this change, this announcement is a welcomed relief of those concerns.”
A petition originally filed in 2009 would have split the 814 area code into two, affecting residents throughout northwestern and central Pennsylvania. In December 2010, the PUC approved a plan that would have split the area code based on geographic boundaries.
After a public outcry and pending release of the projected exhaust date for the code, the PUC reopened the case and reviewed more than 40 petitions for reconsideration.
After careful review of the petitions and upon the PUC’s review of the 814 area code, it was determined that the projected exhaust date has been extended more than 5 years. Under current projections, the 814 area code will have enough numbers to last until the second quarter of 2018.
Upon receiving the new projected exhaust date, the PUC threw out the proposed plan to split the 814 area code.
“This is great news for our area,” George said. “Residents have contacted my office and held town meetings about the proposed split, and thankfully, their concerns have been addressed.”
