BERTRAM, TEXAS (KXXV) — Homeowners across multiple Texas counties are pushing back against a proposed high-voltage power transmission line that planners say is essential to meet growing electricity demand in Texas, but which residents say would devastate their properties and the surrounding landscape.
The "Bell County East to Big Hill 765 kV Transmission Project" would connect to a new substation planned near Eldorado and traverse 194 miles of countryside across Schleicher, Menard, McCullough, San Saba, Burnet, Lampasas and Bell counties, ending at the Bell County East Switch substation in Temple. The Lower Colorado River Authority and Oncor are proposing the project to bring electricity to fast-growing areas of the Permian Basin.
Jan Rose, whose ranch is near Bertram in Burnett County, said she was blindsided last spring when she learned the planned transmission line would run directly across her family's property — land her family has held since 1883.
"It goes from west to east, right in front of our front door," Rose said.
The towers proposed for the line would stand roughly 200 feet tall, in an area where there are few structures taller than old-fashioned windmills or flagpoles.
"That flag pole is 25 feet tall. We're talking 200 feet tall," Rose said.
One proposed route would have towers looming over Beth Kuntz's subdivision.
"It's going to be a different world and a different landscape, and not the one we worked for and saved all of our lives to come out and be a part of," Kuntz said.
Homeowner Clare Nelson is among the neighbors rallying to stop the plan.
"It will just destroy the landscape. It destroys the value of the land," Nelson said.
Nelson also questioned the underlying technology behind the project.
"Why do you need to build these long extension cords, from East Texas to West Texas? That technology doesn't even make sense. It's 1969 technology," Nelson said.
Nelson said she believes a more practical solution exists.
"A normal human being would say, 'Let's build these on existing utility corridors, or along main roads.' There's no need to build on delicate land," Nelson said.
In an email, Oncor representative Roxana Rubio responded to that argument, saying, "In many cases, highway routes simply cannot meet the space, safety, clearance, and reliability needs of a 765 kV line…. the state's long-term planning shows a need for a new high voltage 'backbone,' not just upgrades in existing corridors. It is also important to note that highways tend to follow population and city planning, not electrical facilities."
Rubio also addressed the broader regulatory process in a separate statement.
"The regulatory process for building a new transmission line requires Oncor to propose a geographically diverse set of routes for the PUCT to consider. We are still in the environmental assessment and routing study phase of the project," Rubio said.
The LCRA referred questions to a Q&A on its website, which states: "New load places strain on the transmission grid in the area, which can impact electric service reliability…. The project will help to address those issues."
Neighborhood concerns have fueled public demonstrations, including a protest song and video, and an appearance in Austin where homeowners and advocates appeared before a March 12 meeting of the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
"It is bad for all Texans. It is bad for our Texas environment," homeowner Heidi Green said.
"Please pause and reassess the 765 transmission lines," said Molly Vogt of American Energy Works.
State lawmakers are also weighing in. 19th District Representative Ellen Troxclair wrote to the commission saying she opposes the scale and routing of the proposed line.
54th District Representative Brad Buckley echoed those concerns.
"We want resilient power and a resilient grid in Texas. But we don't want that at the expense of our quality of life or the safety of our citizens," Buckley said.
The formal application from Oncor and the LCRA for a "Certificate of Convenience and Necessity" was expected to go before the Public Utility Commission in early March. Some neighbors now report hearing it could be coming around the end of the month. Meanwhile, some neighbors say they are looking to Austin and hoping for help from their legislators.
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