Power line project protesters: Why here?
Three protesters hoist their signs calling for a halt to the Bell County East-Big Hill 765-kilovolt Transmission Line Project, which would see massive towers and powerlines cutting through the pristine ranchland of northern Burnet County. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
Protesters surrounded a busy intersection in Burnet on Oct. 11 in objection to a massive state transmission line project that would erect dozens of 15-story towers across rural ranchland in northern Burnet County. All had the same question on their minds: Why is this happening?
The group of around 20-30 residents stood on the corners of Texas 29 and U.S. 281 on Saturday morning, written messages in hand, to call for a halt to the proposed 765-kilovolt lines, the largest power line project in state history. The lines would stretch between power stations in Bell and Schleicher counties, roughly 200 miles apart, to supply reliable power to the Permian Basin, a vast oil- and natural gas-producing region in West Texas.
While the exact route has not yet been determined, all possible paths cut through Burnet County.
“Why can’t (the state) think of other ways to give power to the Permian Basin without destroying our ranches?” Burnet County resident and protester Marylynne Norman posed to DailyTrib.com. “Why is our government not looking at all the solutions?”
She and others might get answers when an official from Oncor Electric Delivery arrives for a town hall Oct. 21 at 10 a.m. at the Burnet Community Center, 401 E. Jackson St.
Oncor and the Lower Colorado River Authority have been tasked with the project’s planning and construction by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, which gave the Permian Basin Reliability Plan its approval in April 2025.
That plan is not set in stone. The LCRA and Oncor will likely file their proposal to the PUCT in late November or early December.
Burnet County did not become fully aware of the transmission line project until June, when leaders received notice from the LCRA that the ball was already rolling. However, the county Commissioners Court was reportedly told about it in January, but the correspondence was lost in the shuffle following the resignation of former Burnet County Judge James Oakley.
COMMUNITY CONCERNS
One of the project’s proposed paths cuts by the entrance of the Ranches of Blackbuck Ridge subdivision off of CR 108 in northern Burnet County, which is where Norman and several other protesters live. The residents are worried about the project’s impact on property values, groundwater, emergency services, health, and local wildlife.
“My husband and I built our forever home (at Blackbuck Ridge) five years ago,” said protester Frada Nelson, who moved with husband John to Burnet County from Leander. “We wanted to move away from the rat race and the city. This is not what we planned.”
The project would hit even closer to home for some.
“The 765kv is going to come across my front yard and split my ranch in two,” Jan Rose told the Burnet County Commissioners Court during the public comment period of its Sept. 23 meeting. “We’re an original Burnet County family, 1880s.”
Rose and husband Austin own the Taylor-Rose Ranch near Joppa, which has been in Jan’s family since 1886. They have been before the Commissioners Court on multiple occasions, asking county leaders for support in fighting the transmission lines.
“I know there is a lot behind this project, but I do hope you know that we are a community and we are going to be fine, however it goes,” she told the court in her emotional public comment. “We will remain and we will support.”
The Burnet County Commissioners Court has taken the community’s concerns to heart, hiring an attorney to navigate the situation and creating a thorough transmission line information page on the county website.
“Between now and (when the LCRA and Oncor file their proposal), the goal of this Commissioners Court, I feel like, is to keep the citizens updated and get them all of the info they need to prepare for the hearings and all the things that come with it and to really get that information out there,” said Precinct 2 Commissioner Damon Beierle during the Sept. 23 meeting.
RESOURCES
Keep up with the protest of the 765-kilovolt transmission line project at stop765kvtransmissionlines.com or BIG HILL 765 kv Transmission Line Project Updates on Facebook.
View an interactive map of the proposed transmission lines on the LCRA website.
See Oncor’s side of the project on its website.
Burnet County residents may contact the following government officials and entities to voice their concerns:
- Governor Greg Abbott
- U.S. Senator John Cornyn
- U.S. Senator Ted Cruz
- U.S. Congressman 31st District of Texas John Carter
- State Senator District 24 Pete Flores
- State Representative District 19 Ellen Troxclair
- Public Utility Commission of Texas
- Oncor Electric Delivery, transmissionprojects@oncor.com
- LCRA, BCBH@lcra.org