A local conservation group, Friends of the San Saba (FOSS), are working to change a proposed route for new electricity transmission lines.
The group held meeting to share their efforts against the proposed route of new 765 kilovolt transmission towers, which cross the San Saba River in McCulloch and San Saba counties.
The meeting was streamed from a ranch near Brady, with several, including The Concho Observer attending via Zoom.
The river crossings are only a small part of the massive infrastructure expansion.
Starting in Schleicher County, where a new 765kV substation will be constructed adjacent to the current 345-kV Big Hill Substation, and then travel over 200 miles east, to the Bell County East substation, located south of Temple.
The project was designed to connect East Texas with the Permian Basin, after House Bill 5066 was signed into law in 2023.
This bill orders ERCOT to develop a larger reliability plan for the region.
Each of the three routes would cross the San Saba River, some multiple times.
According to their widely circulated information video, FOSS says that the crossings threaten wildlife through the clearing of land around the river, which could lead to flooding and damage of water habitats. LCRA and Oncor, as public utilities, have power of imminent domain, and as stated in the meeting last night, the 200-foot easement would become their property. You can read more about the Friends of San Saba here.
According to the LCRA, the project is currently under Public Utility Commission review and processing of application, and a final determination for the route will be made this summer.
In an opinion piece published by the Brady Standard Herald, wildlife biologist Macy Ledbetter lays out some of the landowner concerns, ranging from impact on wildlife and hunting, to aesthetic concerns. FOSS has plans going forward to continue opposing the project, thought the group formed many years prior in 2012 to address excess use of irrigation and promote sustainable water practices.
In a letter sent to the Public Utility Commission in November of 2025, state representatives Drew Darby, Ken King, Charlie Green, Brad Buckley, and Stan Lambert urged the commission to “coordinate with state natural resource and emergency management agencies to assess cumulative environmental and flood impacts before finalizing siting decisions.”
And to “prioritize existing transportation and transmission corridors to minimize new disturbance, ensure complete and early participation by local officials, and develop a unified public engagement process that guarantees meaningful consultation with landowners before route publication.”
During the meeting, listeners heard from members of the group who discussed the origin of the effort, and what they have done so far to communicate with legislators, utility companies and landowners since the issue came to their attention last July.
Consultants with Public Utility Commission experience weighed in to discuss the process and timelines associated with the proposed project, and environmental considerations he said bolster their position — that any route not crossing a flood-prone river would be better.
From discussing relevant Texas statutes in the state’s Administrative Code, to endangered species within the waterway, attendees listened intently to the different facets of the issue.
Group members said they have been very active, meeting each Monday at 7 p.m. via Zoom to keep tabs on the effort and make sure things are moving steadily forward.
A bullet list shown during the presentation listed several milestones, including:
- Contacting more than 150 landowners
- Creating a widely shared video
- Meeting with policy advisors for the governor and lieutenant governor, along with key legislators
- Meeting with Texas Parks and Wildlife personnel, and officials from TxDOT, the TCEQ, Texas Water Development Board and Public Utility Commission
- Attending numerous local events including city council and commissioners court meetings
- Meeting with LCRA and ONCOR representatives twice
- Working daily with legislators through the second special session.
