A marathon hearing last week over a Texas transmission proposal drew such strong objections from landowners that some lawmakers who had supported the effort said the project should be paused.
What happened?
The Center Square reported that the response followed a 15-hour hearing before the Texas Senate Business and Commerce Committee. Residents, regulators, and energy industry representatives debated a proposal connected to the Permian Basin Reliability Plan.
The proposal under challenge would build several 765-kilovolt transmission lines stretching across the state from East Texas to West Texas.
Backers said the lines would reinforce Texas' electric system, but landowners argue the process could still put private property in the path of eminent domain, which allows governments to take private land for public use with compensation.
Roughly seven hours of the hearing were devoted to public testimony, and many Texans said they had received little notice and very few details about the final routes.
The Center Square reported that committee chair and state Senator Charles Schwertner said, "After hearing hours of testimony from Texas landowners … one thing is clear: landowners deserve a fair and transparent CCN process. Texans' property rights must be protected."
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He also noted that things like shortened Public Utility Commission proceedings and a lack of communication of information concerned people in their testimonies.
"These concerns demonstrate the need for complete overhaul of the CCN [certificate of convenience and necessity] process before these applications can advance," Schwertner concluded, as The Center Square relayed.
Why is this concerning?
For many landowners, the fight is about land tied to homes, farms, and generational wealth.
Texas is trying to build a more reliable grid after major failures during Winter Storm Uri and Hurricane Beryl, but projects on this scale are harder to advance when communities believe the process is rushed or tilted against them.
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American Stewards of Liberty said the project would "take 4,000 linear miles of private land to build three new 765kV power lines." It estimated that condemnation and reduced land values could cost landowners at least $8.2 billion if the projects proceed.
Grid modernization usually doesn't go well if communities aren't a part of the planning process. By turning out overwhelmingly to speak their minds, people are taking action to make sure this process is fair.
What's being done?
Some Texas leaders now want the current approval track halted.
After the hearing, the Center Square reported that state Senator Kevin Sparks, who had previously supported the transmission buildout, called for a pause. He thanked "the many landowners who came all the way to Austin to share their concerns on this rushed and deeply flawed process."
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also affirmed that reforming the PUC process will be a priority for the state's legislature next year.
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