NEW YORK, July 31 (Reuters) - PPL Corp's ( PPL )

joint-venture with Blackstone to build power plants for Big Tech

data centers has secured land and is in discussions with

potential customers, gas pipeline companies and turbine

manufacturers, executives with the company said on Thursday.

U.S. electricity demand is surging to new heights from

energy-intensive data centers needed for the expansion of

artificial intelligence, raising reliability and cost concerns

for power grids growing short on supplies.

"Meeting this unprecedented demand growth will require an

unprecedented response and will require all market participants

to be part of the solution," PPL CEO Vincent Sorgi said on an

earnings call with investors.

On the call, PPL separately said that it was extending the

life of retiring coal-fired power generation in Kentucky to meet

growing electricity consumption.

PPL, a major electric utility company that primarily

operates in Pennsylvania, announced the joint-venture earlier

this month at an AI energy summit in Pittsburgh that was

attended by U.S. President Donald Trump, giant technology

companies and power industry executives.

Energy companies that previously only ran power lines are

increasingly considering alternative options to ramp up power

supplies, including by developing their own power plants.

Data center demand in PPL's territory has reached 14.5

gigawatts, equivalent to what could power all of the homes in

the largest U.S. state of California.

PPL is also supporting state legislation in Pennsylvania

that would allow fully-regulated utilities to own power

generation, which is currently not allowed in the state.

The joint venture with Blackstone does not include PPL

Electric utilities or its regulated subsidiaries.