What happened:  The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) voted unanimously on Wednesday, June 17, to delay a segment of the proposed 765-kilovolt transmission project, days after Midland’s State Sen. Kevin Sparks and 42 other Texas lawmakers urged regulators to slow down.

According to Texas Scorecard reporter Robert Montoya, commissioners agreed to pause, or”abate,” the proposed Longshore Switch–Drill Hole Switch transmission line while they wait for administrative law judges to issue recommendations on another connected segment of the project before deciding whether to approve the western portion.

Commissioners also raised concerns about whether affected landowners received adequate notice and whether the state’s accelerated review process gives property owners enough time to respond. The following day, however, commissioners unanimously denied a similar request to delay proceedings on a separate segment, allowing that project to proceed.

Catch up quickly: Texas lawmakers passed legislation in 2023 to speed the integration of new power generation into the electric grid. But that effort has since ballooned into a much larger statewide transmission buildout, with no consideration for building new reliable electrical generation alongside these lines. The current structure accommodates the construction of more unreliable, intermittent power generation at the ratepayers’ expense.

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Why it matters: According to Montoya, the 43 lawmakers argued that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) relied on flawed planning when developing the proposal. The brief claims ERCOT ignored a reliability study it commissioned and instead relied on an S&P Global study that incorporated environmental, social, and governance (ESG) guidance and emissions‑reduction goals.

The lawmakers also argue that oil and gas companies’ ESG goals are a major driver behind the proposed transmission lines.

The brief also cites a Texas Public Policy Foundation study concluding that building four to five gigawatts of new natural gas generation in West Texas could significantly reduce, or eliminate, the need for much of the transmission project. That study estimates the project’s lifetime cost could approach $100 billion.

The big picture: The delayed line would run about 160 miles from west of Forsan in Howard County to near the Culberson–Reeves County line, according to Texas Scorecard. It represents one of five segments that make up the larger transmission project.

The 2023 law shortened the PUC’s deadline for approving transmission projects from one year to 180 days. During the hearing, attorneys representing landowners argued that the timeline leaves some property owners with fewer than three months to understand the project, hire counsel, and respond after receiving notice.

What they’re saying: PUC Chairman Thomas Gleeson called delaying the Longshore Switch–Drill Hole Switch case “the best thing to do” and said commissioners intend to recommend changes to the Legislature after identifying shortcomings in the current process, Montoya reported.

On the separate Bell County East–Big Hill transmission line, commissioners ruled that Oncor and the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) presented enough reasonable route options for the case to continue.

The bottom line: As The Permian Press reported in April, Sparks has questioned the project for months, arguing that West Texas should generate more of its own electricity rather than import it over costly new lines.