Will run from Glen Rose to Forsan to the Drill Hole Switch NW or Orla
The Public Utility Commission of Texas has approved Certificates of Convenience and Necessity for the north 765kV transmission lines known as the Dinosaur to Longshore and Longshore to Drill Hole projects proposed as Import Path 1, from Central Texas to the Permian Basin.
According to Dave Clark with Friends of the San Saba River (FOSS), during its open meeting on Friday, Aug. 28, the PUC did not discuss every proposed project in the state, focusing instead on Commissioner Thomas J. Gleeson’s memorandums dated Aug. 27, outlining his reasoning on the approval process, wherein he acknowledges the administrative law judges’ findings that the utility violated the PUC’s public meeting requirement, but recommends they should be overruled since it only requires one public meeting be held before an application is submitted.
The PUC also listened to oral arguments for the Howard to Solstice CCN application, which is the south 765kV transmission line, known as Import Path 3.
The Bell County East to Big Hill (Bell County) and Big Hill to Sand Lake (Sand Lake) compose the middle 765kV transmission line, known as Import Path 2 was not discussed.
(Bell County is the CCN application that impacts the San Saba River counties.)
Chairman Gleeson’s Dinosaur & Drill Hole Memos
According to Clark, Chairman Gleeson’s conclusion will likely impact the Bell County CCN application since the findings by the administrative law judges were the same.
Clark also said Gleeson wants Oncor to avoid bisecting properties when reasonable route changes can be made and proposed a provision to allow Oncor to deviate from the approved route if: (1) Oncor receives consent from all landowners affected by the deviation, and (2) the deviation results in a reasonably direct path and doesn’t cause an unreasonable increase in cost or delay the project.
Normally the PUC does not permit transmission service providers (TSPs) to make any deviation from the approved route without amending the CCN, other than minor changes.
More About the Aug. 28 Meeting
The PUC Open Meeting lasted four hours, with roughly 100 people — mostly landowners — in attendance.
Public comments were provided by 26 people raising concerns about: (1) due process, largely caused by the 180-day compressed time frame, (2) other process failures, and (3) the issue of need. Oral arguments were provided for Howard-Solstice by 29 intervenors and the applicants.
Erath County Judge Brandon Huckabee, the first public comment speaker, told the Commissioners that the landowners he represents on the Dinosaur 765kV transmission line lost trust that their voices mattered, and they now believe the deck was stacked against them from the very beginning.
The PUC Commissioners approved Dinosaur and Drill Hole in 14 minutes. First, Chairman Gleeson said (1) the ALJs recommended the PUC find these transmission lines are needed, (2) he believes the evidence establishes the need for these transmission lines, and (3) he recommended the Commissioners adopt the ALJs findings.
The other commissioners agreed, and there was no substantive discussion about the issue of need. There was no rationale given for the commissioners decision on need, other than the ALJs recommendation. The short comments made by the other three commissioners were almost identical.
Gleeson then (1) briefly discussed the items contained in his memos that are explained above, (2) the other three Commissioners made short comments about the memo items, and (3) the Commissioners adopted the PFD recommendations and approved the Drill Hole and Dinosaur CCN applications.
There was no discussion about the alternative routes or about the recommended route. There was no discussion about the oral arguments made by Dinosaur and Drill Hole intervenors on Friday, August 21st.
Bell County CCN Application Status
The Bell County ALJs issued their proposal for decision (PFD) on Thursday, Aug. 20. The ALJs recommended the Bell County and Sand Lake CCN applications should be denied because Oncor and LCRA TSC failed to show that Import Path 2 was needed. More specifically, the ALJs found that ERCOT’s Permian Basin Reliability Plan (PBRP) does not support the need for Bell County and Sand Lake because:
- ERCOT’s load forecast is overstated, unsubstantiated and contains material errors
- Bell County East does not have sufficient power available to transmit west to the Permian Basin
- New and planned gas generation in the Permian Basin could reduce or eliminate the need for this 765kV transmission line
Industry trade groups, Oncor and the other transmission service providers (TSPs) have issued statements saying the Bell County ALJs are wrong because they believe the 765kV transmission lines are needed. But the ALJs can only rely on the evidence that is in the record, and the ALJs concluded the evidence fails to justify need.
All five of the Permian Basin 765kV CCN applications justify the need for their 765kV transmission line projects on HB 5066 and the PBRP. The ALJ’s in the Dinosaur, Drill Hole, and Howard to Solstice 765kV CCN applications concluded need was satisfied by HB 5066 and the PBRP. But the Bell County ALJs found the PBRP did not support the issue of need and the Bell County CCN application should be denied.
The parties in Bell County (i.e. intervenors and applicants) now have an opportunity to submit their arguments against the PFD, which are referred to as Exceptions.
- The deadline for filing Exceptions to the PFD is Wednesday, September 2nd.
- Then the parties can file replies to Exceptions (i.e. rebuttals) by Wednesday, September 9th.
- The SOAH ALJs will file their Exceptions Letter by Tuesday, September 15, 2026, to rebut the parties’ exceptions.
- Finally, the PUC Commissioners will consider the Bell County PFD at a future open meeting. The 180-day decision deadline for the Bell County CCN application is Tuesday, September 22nd.
The PUC followed the recommendation of the Dinosaur and Drill Hole ALJs when they approved these CCN applications. If the PUC follows the recommendation of the Bell County ALJs, then they will deny the Bell County and Sand Lake applications. However, the PUC will make the final decision on Bell County East and Sand Lake, and they could overrule the Bell County ALJs.
