The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) voted unanimously to deny a request for a hearing on the route adequacy of the proposed Bell County East to Big Hill 765-kilovolt transmission line. The decision rejects formal appeals submitted by two regional landowner groups, clearing the way for the 199-mile infrastructure project to maintain its current regulatory schedule.
The decision comes a day after the commissioners decided to temporarily suspend a separate Permian transmission segment over notice and procedural concerns.
The requests for a hearing, filed by Save the Lampasas and the 4K Land and Cattle Company, claimed the routing alternatives submitted by Oncor Electric Delivery Company and the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) Transmission Services Corporation were insufficient. The Commissioners disagreed.
When combined with the Big Hill to Sand Lake segment, the 199-mile line spans from north of Austin to south of San Angelo, establishing the central 765-kV import path. This corridor is one of three high-voltage transmission paths outlined under the comprehensive Permian Basin Reliability Plan to funnel significant power into West Texas.
In an official project brief, Oncor and the LCRA stated that the next-generation 765-kV lines are needed to ensure reliable electric service to West Texas, pointing to multiple grid assessments by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) identifying severe future load growth. The utilities noted that higher-voltage lines move more electricity over longer distances far more efficiently than existing 345-kV systems.
The buildout continues to draw pushback from residents along the line’s path. Save the Lampasas, an organization representing over 50 property owners and 600 community members in Burnet County, argued in its filings that the existing procedural setup relies too heavily on utility assertions, warning that the remaining route variations would permanently cut across northeastern Burnet County.
The 4K Land and Cattle Company’s appeal alleged that the utilities compressed an unprecedented 765-kV corridor into a narrow 35-mile north-to-south study area, funneling infrastructure options into a few convergent rural pathways. Landowner Kevin Kennedy expressed frustration regarding the rigid administrative framework, stating that the current legal process leaves private property owners with very little structural leverage to challenge complex utility routing and necessity claims.
PUCT Chairman Thomas Gleeson said the commission’s unanimous denial was based on long-standing agency guidelines. Gleeson noted that the PUCT maintains 20 years of clear regulatory precedent regarding what constitutes a reasonably differentiated selection of alternative routes.
The Commission concluded that Oncor and the LCRA provided sufficient administrative evidence to demonstrate that an adequate number of geographically diverse routing options were presented under the circumstances, meaning the appellants had not met the legal threshold required to trigger a separate route-adequacy hearing.
With the route-adequacy appeals dismissed, the Bell County East to Big Hill segment returns to its standard administrative track. Administrative law judges at the State Office of Administrative Hearings are expected to issue a formal proposal recommending a specific final route following a merits hearing.
Under the compressed 180-day statutory clock established by House Bill 5066 in 2023, the PUCT faces a binding final decision deadline on September 22, 2026.