Burnet County OKs funds for transmission line legal help
A major powerline project will likely cut through the Burnet County precincts of commissioners Jim Luther and Damon Beierle. The Commissioners Court recently approved hiring outside legal help to navigate the process. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
The Burnet County Commissioners Court is dedicating money to consult with an outside law firm on a massive transmission line project by the state that could cut through northern Burnet County.
The court earmarked a maximum of $20,000 for legal help, though it remains uncertain what can be done to effect a route change for the proposed Bell County to Big Hill 765-kilovolt Transmission Project.
“We’re trying to assess as a county what type of stances we can take and things we need to look at,” said Precinct 2 Commissioner Damon Beierle during the Commissioners Court’s July 22 meeting. “What I would like to see us focus on, with the help of this law firm, is … health and safety and what are the things we want to do to protect our constituents.”
The line would likely go through Beierle’s Precinct 2 as well as Commissioner Jim Luther’s Precinct 1.
All four of the court’s commissioners, including Joe Don Dockery and Chad Collier, voted in favor of allocating up to $20,000 from the county’s professional services budget to engage a law firm. Burnet County Judge Bryan Wilson recused himself from all discussions and voting on the matter as he and his wife own property along one of the proposed line routes.
The transmission line project has been causing worries in Burnet County since it came to light in June when members of the court shared plans from the Public Utility Commission of Texas for the largest powerline project in state history with all possible routes cutting through Burnet County. The Bell County to Big Hill line, being built by the Lower Colorado River Authority and Oncor Electric Delivery, will be the first 765-kilovolt line in Texas and serve to strengthen the state’s electric grid.
The official route will be chosen by the summer of 2026, according to the Public Utility Commission.
Beierle specifically noted the Commissioners Court wants to avoid rerouting the project’s path, as landowners in Burnet County would be impacted regardless of which way it went.
“From a county standpoint, it makes things difficult because if we start getting into route discussions, it starts to push it from landowner to another. So it makes it difficult, in my opinion, for us to get into the route discussion,” he said.
Many property owners along the proposed routes have expressed concerns, including Burnet County resident Judy Gracie, who owns land off of CR 243.
“This is really going to devastate my property,” she said.
Gracie told DailyTrib.com her property could end up having as many as five towers on it if the project follows a proposed route through her land.
Other landowners, like Jan and Austin Rose, could have massive lines and towers crossing their 140-year-old Texas heritage ranch.
According to Beierle, the possibility of requesting the project follow existing transmission line routes will be discussed with legal aid, but the county’s options are unclear at this point.
“I think we can justify spending some money to get some answers to those questions because we don’t know (what is possible),” he said.