Burnet County group hosting anti-transmission line meeting series: ‘The time to advocate for our area is now’
Stock image of transmission line for illustrative purposes only
The Hill Country Land and Legacy Alliance is hosting a series of meetings, Feb. 22- April 19, in Burnet, to help spread awareness of the possible risks posed by the proposed Bell County East to Big Hill 765 kV Transmission Line.
The meeting series will focus on the background of the state transmission line project, its potential near and far future impacts on Burnet County, and how people can make their voices heard in opposition to it.
“The goal is simply to share clear, factual information, explain the broader risks and implications, and help people understand how to stay informed and engaged, so we can do everything in our power to encourage responsible infrastructure growth that aligns with our community values,” Alliance founder Mia Sarot wrote in a post accompanying the announcement of the meeting series.
All of the meetings are free and open to the public. The Feb. 22 meeting will be held at the Lake Victor Community Center, 200 Lake Avenue with a Lampasas address. The others will be held at the Burnet County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension building, 607 N. Vandeveer Street in Burnet.
- Sunday, Feb. 22: 3-5 p.m.
- Saturday, March 7: 3-5 p.m.
- Sunday, March 22: 3-5 p.m.
- Sunday, April 19: 3-5 p.m.
In an interview with DailyTrib, Sarot alluded to the concerns she has regarding the risks that could be associated with the transmission line.
“The towers are huge, they would be a scar to the aesthetics (of Burnet County),” she said. Longterm, it also gives more options for the area to become developed for different infrastructure that may not align with the community, like BESS sites (battery energy storage systems), data centers, and more. These 765 lines make Burnet more attractive for future development.”
Some of the primary, immediate concerns are the 15-plus-story towers that would be used to hold up the transmission lines and the 200-300-foot easements that would be needed to surround them. If approved, these towers and easements would likely have a direct impact on the property values of landowners across northern Burnet County.
“The time to advocate for our area is now, before these lines put a big target on our area,” Sarot wrote. “Please come out and learn more about what is proposed for our beautiful county, and what it could mean for our future.”
Background on the Bell County East to Big Hill 765 kV Transmission Line
The Bell County East to Big Hill 765-kV Transmission Project has been on Burnet County’s radar since May 2025. Since then, public opposition and protest has risen and the county has officially taken up opposition to the state project.
The transmission line project’s intention is to bring power to West Texas, but many Burnet County residents believe that it would be at the expense of Hill Country landowners.
The project was mandated by the Texas Legislature in 2023 through House Bill 5066. The bill aimed to increase the reliability of the Texas electric grid, and also specifically targeted bringing power to the Permian Basin region of West Texas.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas took on the task, requesting the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to conduct a study on the power needs of the Permian Basin, resulting in the Permian Basin Reliability Study.
The results of that study showed a massive increase in the projected demand for electricity from that region, mostly to satisfy an estimated addition of 11,695 megawatts to the grid from the non-oil and gas industry. Per ERCOT’s study, this load would be made up of 59 percent cryptocurrency operations, 22 percent “green hydrogen” projects, 13 percent “other” commercial and industrial projects, and 6 percent datacenters.
Once ERCOT’s study was completed, the PUCT tasked Oncor Electric Delivery and the Lower Colorado River Authority with devising a plan to deliver more power to the Permian Basin. After months of planning the organizations created a preliminary plan and route for 765 kilovolt powerlines to be run from Central Texas to West Texas. Burnet County was notified of the plans, and the fact that it would likely be included in all possible routes, in May 2025.
Read the DailyTrib stories below to learn more:
- ”Massive transmission line would cut through Burnet County,” June 6, 2025
- ”Burnet County considers careful next steps in response to transmission line,” June 25, 2025
- “Burnet County seeks legal counsel for transmission line project,” July 10, 2025
- “Burnet County OKs funds for transmission line legal help,” July 22, 2025
- “Power line project protesters: Why here?,” Oct. 13, 2025
- “Questions raised, but few answered, at transmission line town hall,” Oct. 24, 2025
- “Burnet County takes official stance against transmission line,” Oct. 29, 2025
- “Oncor and LCRA update transmission line timeline,” Nov. 4, 2025
- “Llano County joins transmission line opposition,” Nov. 11, 2025
- “Transmission line opposition creates protest schedule and theme song ‘Two Hundred Miles of Greed’,” Nov. 24, 2025
- “Troxclair takes public stance against transmission line project,” Jan. 20, 2026
- “Burnet County considers intergovernmental commission to combat transmission line; community workshop Feb. 3,” Jan. 29, 2026