More than 600 landowners, businesses and governmental entities have filed motions to intervene in a pending transmission line case before the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
The filings come as part of the Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) case for the proposed Howard-Solstice 765-kilovolt transmission line, a project backed by AEP Texas and CPS Energy that would span more than 350 miles across West Texas and the Hill Country.
According to filing information submitted to the commission, intervenors include commissioners courts from Kerr, Edwards, Real and Val Verde counties, as well as hundreds of private landowners and property holders along the proposed route.
More than 260 additional parties have filed protests or public comments, including U.S. Rep. Chip Roy and state Reps. Eddie Morales Jr. and Wes Virdell.
“The scale of opposition … is historic,” Hill Country Preservation Coalition founder Jada Jo Smith said in a statement, citing the level of landowner participation and the long-term implications of the project.
The proposed transmission line is part of a broader statewide effort to expand electric infrastructure, particularly to support energy demands in the Permian Basin. Industry leaders have warned for years that West Texas lacks sufficient transmission capacity to sustain oil and gas production, which relies heavily on electricity to power field operations, according to reporting by The Texas Tribune.
But the scale and routing of the proposed lines have drawn increasing opposition from landowners, conservation groups and some lawmakers. Critics argue the project could damage sensitive landscapes, including river systems and aquifer zones, while also increasing costs for ratepayers, who are expected to fund the multibillion- dollar expansion.
The Howard-Solstice line, one of the largest proposed in Texas, would feature transmission towers reaching approximately 160 feet in height and rights-of-way up to 200 feet wide across private land.
The Hill Country Preservation Coalition, which has organized opposition to the project, has advocated for what it calls a “least harmful path,” prioritizing routes that follow existing infrastructure corridors and avoid ecologically sensitive areas such as the Devils River and Lower Pecos River basins.
According to the coalition, Alternative Route 9 in the current application most closely aligns with that approach while still meeting regulatory requirements.
The Public Utility Commission has received multiple applications for large-scale transmission projects tied to the broader grid expansion and has up to 180 days to approve, deny or modify proposals after filings are complete.
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