A series of workshops across the Hill Country this month will help landowners understand the proposed Howard-Solstice 765-kilovolt transmission line and how to participate in the state regulatory process reviewing the project.
The Hill Country Preservation Coalition announced the meetings to explain the Certificate of Convenience and Necessity application filed with the Public Utility Commission of Texas and to outline the proposed route for the transmission corridor.
A workshop was scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Lake Flato Offices, 311 Third St., in San Antonio.
Additional meetings are planned Thursday, March 12, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Gypsy Sally’s in Leakey and Thursday, March 19, from 4 to 7 p.m. at The Blue Flame in Utopia.
Another workshop co-hosted with the Devils River Conservancy is scheduled for March 18 in Del Rio, though the time and location had not been announced as of press time.
Coalition organizers said a workshop in Bandera is also planned but had not yet been scheduled.
The workshops are intended to help landowners and other stakeholders understand the Public Utility Commission’s review process and how residents can file comments regarding the project.
The proposed Howard- Solstice transmission line would be among the largest electric infrastructure projects in Texas history, potentially stretching hundreds of miles across private land in South and West Texas.
According to information released by the coalition, the line could include lattice steel towers about 160 feet tall and a right-ofway approaching 200 feet wide.
Coalition representatives said the meetings will also discuss the route identified by developers as “Alternative Route 4,” which they say partially reflects the group’s “Least Harmful Route” framework aimed at minimizing impacts on sensitive landscapes and waterways.
The route generally aligns with the coalition’s proposal across the eastern portion of the corridor running from Bexar County through Medina, Uvalde and Kinney counties, according to the group.
However, coalition representatives said additional changes could reduce potential impacts farther west, particularly near the Devils River and Lower Pecos River region.
Under Texas law, large transmission projects must receive a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity from the Public Utility Commission before construction can begin.
The review process typically includes route analysis, public comments and potential hearings before the commission makes a final decision.
More information about the workshops and the proposed transmission line is available at preservethehillcountry. com.
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