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Texas utility commission approves 400-plus miles of 765-kV transmission lines

Texas utility commission approves 400-plus miles of 765-kV transmission lines

Built World

First approvals under the 2023 Permian Basin Reliability Plan cross 30 counties; Howard-Solstice decision deferred

August 28th, 2026: PUC approves two Oncor 765-kV lines

Overview

Updated Aug 29

Texas utility regulators unanimously approved more than 400 miles of 765,000-volt transmission lines on August 28. The vote clears Dallas-based Oncor to build two corridors crossing 30 counties from Bosque County southwest toward the Permian Basin, where oil and gas companies say operations are starved for electricity.

The approvals are the first under the Permian Basin Reliability Plan, the 2023 program lawmakers created to electrify the oil patch. They came despite letters from Texas senators and House members urging a pause until the Legislature could rewrite the approval process, and after landowners told the commission that Oncor gave them too little time to contest routes.

Why it matters

These lines decide whether West Texas oil operations get grid power by 2029—and whether the $33 billion cost lands on every electricity customer's bill.

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Key Indicators

400+
Miles of 765-kV transmission lines approved
Two Oncor corridors approved on August 28.
30
Counties crossed by the approved corridors
Runs from Bosque County southwest toward the Permian Basin.
$33B
Estimated full statewide transmission buildout cost
Recovered from electric customers across the entire ERCOT grid.
2
Oncor lines approved of five pending applications
Howard-Solstice tabled; two Import Path 2 lines recommended for denial.

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People Involved

TS
Todd Staples
President, Texas Oil and Gas Association
Leading industry pressure for the transmission buildout
 Charlie Geren
Charlie Geren
Texas State Representative (R-Fort Worth)
Authored the 2023 bill creating the Permian Basin Reliability Plan

Organizations Involved

Public Utility Commission of Texas
Public Utility Commission of Texas
State Regulatory Agency
Approved two of five pending 765-kV applications

Texas state agency that regulates electric, water, and telecom utilities and approves transmission line certificates.
OE
Oncor Electric Delivery
Transmission and Distribution Utility
Holds approved certificates to build two 765-kV lines

Texas's largest transmission and distribution utility, based in Dallas.
ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas)
ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas)
Grid operator
Designed the reliability plan and carried the burden of proving need

Nonprofit corporation operating Texas's main power grid.
TO
Texas Oil and Gas Association
Trade Association
Pushed for approval of the transmission lines

Trade group representing Texas upstream oil and gas producers.

Timeline

2022 August 2026

10 events Latest: August 28th, 2026 · 2 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. PUC approves two Oncor 765-kV lines

    Latest Regulatory Decision

    Commission votes unanimously to approve both Oncor applications, totaling more than 400 miles across 30 counties. It tables the Howard-Solstice application for further deliberations.

  2. PUC consolidates Oncor cases on need

    Procedural

    Commission restarts the frozen docket and consolidates both Oncor cases into a single proceeding on whether the lines are needed. Thirty-one House members file a statement urging denial of all five applications.

  3. Judges recommend denying Import Path 2 lines

    Legal

    Administrative law judges recommend denying the Bell County East–Big Hill and Big Hill–Sand Lake lines, finding need unproven and notice to 1,400 landowners defective.

  4. PUC freezes western line docket

    Procedural

    Commission abates Docket 59029 while the eastern case remains at the State Office of Administrative Hearings.

  5. Judge recommends approving Longshore–Drill Hole

    Legal

    A state administrative law judge recommends the commission grant the application and approve route 476.

  6. Oncor files first CCN application

    Filing

    Oncor files its Longshore–Drill Hole application, roughly 160 miles across 10 West Texas counties.

  7. PUC chooses 765-kV design

    Regulatory Decision

    Commission selects the 765,000-volt design, the highest transmission voltage in use, over the 345-kV alternative common in Texas.

  8. PUC approves reliability plan

    Regulatory Decision

    Commission approves the Permian Basin Reliability Plan with the question of voltage left open.

  9. Legislature passes Permian Basin Reliability Plan

    Legislation

    House Bill authored by Rep. Charlie Geren directs ERCOT to design a plan bringing electricity to the oil patch. Passes nearly unanimously.

  10. Oil majors commission grid study

    Study

    Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips, and Chevron, with other big companies, commission a study on what grid upgrades West Texas needs.

Scenarios

1

Oncor breaks ground; first line energizes by 2028

Likely Resolves by End of 2028

Discussed by: The Texas Tribune; The Texas Dispatch; industry projections

With certificates in hand, Oncor can start construction. The Dinosaur–Longshore line targets 2028 completion; Longshore–Drill Hole targets 2029. Legal challenges could shift timelines but regulators found Oncor satisfied legal requirements, so the build proceeds unless a court intervenes.

2

Court challenge stalls construction

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Landowner groups; Texas Scorecard coverage of opposition

Landowners across the 30 counties could sue to overturn the certificates. The commission's own administrative court earlier agreed that some landowners received insufficient notice, giving plaintiffs a potential opening. A court vacating the approval could halt construction or force new route proceedings.

3

2027 Legislature overhauls transmission siting process

Possible Resolves by Jun 1, 2027

Discussed by: Texas Senate members; 31 House members who filed statements

Lawmakers who urged delay say the certificate-of-convenience process needs reform, particularly the 180-day contest window and the requirement that ERCOT study more route options. A reform bill would affect future lines, not the already-approved Oncor build, but could reshape the remaining Permian projects.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2005–2013

Texas CREZ transmission buildout (2005–2013)

The Legislature created Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) to move West Texas wind power to urban load centers. The Public Utility Commission approved roughly 3,600 miles of new transmission lines at a cost of about $7 billion.

Then

Construction ran from 2010 to 2013, with the final lines energized in December 2013.

Now

The buildout unlocked massive wind development in West Texas and became a model for how the state directs large transmission projects.

Why this matters now

CREZ shows Texas can complete a multi-billion-dollar, multi-county transmission build when the Legislature mandates it. The Permian plan follows the same playbook, but with 765-kV lines and a faster timeline.

2011–2018

Plains & Eastern Clean Line (2011–2018)

Clean Line Energy proposed a 720-mile, 4,000-megawatt high-voltage transmission line moving Oklahoma and Kansas wind power to Tennessee. The project received federal approval but was denied eminent domain rights by the Department of Energy.

Then

Landowner opposition and state regulatory hurdles in Arkansas slowed the project; it was cancelled in 2018.

Now

The project's failure became a cautionary tale about how landowner resistance and procedural defects can kill major transmission lines.

Why this matters now

The current Texas lines face the same landowner opposition but a different legal structure: Texas utilities can use eminent domain with a certificate of convenience and necessity. Whether that structure survives legal challenge is the open question.

Sources

(7)
+3
The Texas Tribune The Texas Dispatch San Antonio Express-News Texas Scorecard The Texas Dispatch The Texas Dispatch The Texas Dispatch