Photo credit: Midland Mayor Lori Blong

What happened: Midland’s State Sen. Kevin Sparks joined 42 other Texas lawmakers in asking state regulators to delay approval of the first segment of a proposed $30-$40 billion high-voltage transmission network stretching roughly 1,200 to 1,400 miles from the Gulf Coast to West Texas, according to Robert Montoya with Texas Scorecard. Midland’s representative in the Texas House, Tom Craddick, did not sign the brief.

The lawmakers filed a friend-of-the-court brief Monday, June 15, with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC), asking the commission to review the entire 765-kilovolt transmission buildout before approving individual sections. The PUC is scheduled to consider the first segment on Thursday, June 18.

Catch up quickly: 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.

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Texas lawmakers passed legislation in 2023 intended to speed up 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 actually accommodates the construction of more unreliable, intermittent power generation at the ratepayers’ expense.

Why it matters: According to Montoya, the lawmakers argue 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.

What they’re saying: During an April 1 Senate committee hearing, in remarks reported by Texas Scorecard, Sparks said the proposal carries significant consequences for Midland and the Permian Basin landowners.

“I probably represent more land being crossed by these three 765kV lines than anybody else here,” Sparks said. “It concerns me that we’re going to, and I get calls daily, multiple times a day, wind up eminent domaining a bunch of property.”

What’s next: The lawmakers are asking the PUC to delay action on the first transmission segment until contested-case hearings for all segments conclude, Montoya reported.