Oncor and LCRA update transmission line timeline
A critical filing for a controversial state transmission line project has been delayed by an estimated three months according to Oncor Electric Delivery and the Lower Colorado River Authority, the two entities responsible for carrying out the power plan.
Oncor and the LCRA originally predicted that they would submit a project application to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) in November or December. Members of the Burnet County Commissioners Court learned on Monday, Nov. 3 that the application would now likely be submitted in March 2026, with a potential PUCT decision by September 2026.
The application filing is a crucial step in the process as it begins a 30-day countdown for concerned parties to submit their comments. It is also an opportunity to submit to become an “intervener” which grants legal stake in the case and more say in the outcome. After the application is filed and all comments have been received, the PUCT will spend several months analyzing the project to determine the best route forward.
With the filing pushed back, residents have more time to educate themselves on the project and collect information to support their positions.
“I think (the delay in the application filing) will help create more momentum,” Burnet County Precinct 2 Commissioner Damon Beierle told DailyTrib.com. “Some people are just now finding out about (the proposed transmission line).”
If everything goes according to plan, the line would be completed by summer 2030. More details on the timeline are available on the Oncor and LCRA web pages dedicated to the Bell County East-Big Hill 765 kV Transmission Line Project.
View an interactive map of the proposed line at this link.
It is unclear whether rising public opposition had anything to do with the change to the timeline for the application filing, but Burnet County officials believe it could benefit concerned residents.
“My opinion is that this is good news and a response to all the questions and public outcry,” reads a Monday Facebook post from Beierle. “Stay tuned for more details and don’t let your guard down. Keep finding all those great reasons why Burnet County is a bad idea for these lines.”
The transmission line project has seen staunch resistance in Burnet County, including powerful courtroom testimonies, a full-on public protest, and an official resolution passed on Oct. 28 in opposition to the line from the county government.
“I think (the application filing delay) has to do with activity from the public,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Don Dockery told DailyTrib.com. “This isn’t going to be a pushover situation. There is a lot of resistance out there.”
Comments can be preemptively filed and viewed on the PUCT website under the filing for the Bell County East-Big Hill 765 kV Transmission Line Project. Visit this link or look up the case under docket number 58559.
The project would see about 200 miles of high-voltage 765 kilovolt transmission lines suspended from 15-story towers that will be built every 1,000 feet or so run from Bell County to Schleicher County with all proposed routes cutting through the rural ranchland of northern Burnet County.
This is being done by the order of the state legislature through the PUCT, which tasked the LCRA and Oncor with taking care of the project. It is all part of the Permian Basin Reliability Plan, which is designed to bring electricity to West Texas to serve the predicted growing demands of the oil and gas industry and other, undefined users.
While the lines would run through several counties, including Burnet, on their way from Bell County to Schleicher County, they would not directly provide power to those pass-through counties according to current plans.
