Burnet County Transmission Line Information Hub

Next deadline - April 27, 2026 at 5pm - final day to file motions to intervene.

This is a central place where Burnet County residents can access information, updates, and community resources related to the Bell County East to Big Hill 765kV Transmission Line proposed  by Oncor and LCRA TSC.

Community groups, landowners, and local organizations may request to have resources and/or meetings listed on this page. 

Start Here if You Received a Mailer

If you received a mailer about a proposed transmission project, below are some steps (with links) that you can take to get started, and the details on each are below.

Connect with your neighbors

Join our community email blast to receive project updates

Learn how the approval process works

Advocate for your concerns publicly 

Intervene in the Application

Connect with Your Neighbors

Find Your Nearest Segment & Local Contacts

Each segment represents a different geographical area within the broader study corridor. Residents often organize locally within their segment while also working together with other communities on broader concerns related to the project.

Step 1: Find your property on the LCRA project map (link) to see which transmission segment is nearest to you.

Step 2: Use the links in the expanding list below to connect with community contacts for the segment closest to you.*

 

*We do not have contact information for every segment. Please reach out via our Contact Page (link) to add contact information for your segment if you do not see it below.

Spread Awareness in Your Community

Many residents first learn about projects like this through conversations with neighbors, friends, and family. If you find the information on this page helpful, consider sharing it with others in your community who may also want to learn more.

Transmission planning studies and potential routes can evolve over time (including major and minor shifts), so broader community awareness can help ensure residents stay informed and prepared as the process develops.

Learn How the Approval Process Works

Government & Utility Company Project Information

The following links connect directly to official sources related to the proposed transmission projects, including government agencies, public filings, and utility company project pages.

Crash Course: How Transmission Lines are Approved in Texas

Major electric transmission lines in Texas must go through a formal review process before a final route can be approved. The Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) oversees this process and ultimately, decides which route, if any, will be built.

"Understanding Transmission Line Routing in Texas" by Braun & Gresham, Attorneys at Law

 

"Routing Factors for Texas Transmission Lines" by Brad Bayliff, Texas PUC Lawyer

 

"Landowners and Transmission Line Cases at the PUC" by the Public Utility Commission of Texas

 

"Transmission Planning in ERCOT" (Video) by ERCOT

 

"How Transmission Power Line Projects Work" by Oncor

 

Hill County Land & Legacy Alliance also hosts regular meetings to help community members understand the background and process for this proposal. You can find the meeting dates here.

Key Terms

The transmission planning and regulatory process often involves technical and legal terminology. The definitions below are provided to help explain some of the most commonly used ones.

765-kV Transmission Line

A 765-kilovolt (kV) tranmssion line is a type of extra-high-voltage power line designed to carry large amounts of electricity across long distances betwneen major substations across an electric grid.

They are much larger than typical neighborhood distribution lines, and require very wide and very tall structures and wide rights-of-way.

PUC/PUCT - The Public Utility Commission of Texas

The Texas PUC is that state agency responsible for regulating electric utilities and approving major transmission projects.  The PUC staff are professional employees of the PUC who assist with reviewing utility applications and regulatory cases. Staff may analyze technical information, review filings, ask questions of the parties involved, and provide recommendations during the review process . The PUC Commissioners (currently there are 4) are appointed by the Governor, and make the final decision on whether a transmission project and route will be approved.

ERCOT - Electric Reliability Council of Texas

ERCOT is the organization responsible for managing the flow of electricyt across most of the Texas power grid.

ERCOT oversees grid reliability, coordinates electricty markets, and conducts long-term planning studies to identify where new transmission infrastructre may be needed to meet growing electricty demand.

CCN - Certificate of Convenience and Necessity

A CCN is the formal approval required from the PUC before a major electric transmission line can be built. The CCN process determines whether the project is needed, and which route will be approved.

TSP - Transmission Service Provider

A TSP is a utility company responsible for building, operating, and maintaining high-voltage transmission lines and substations on the electric grid.

In Texas, examples of TSPs include Oncor Electric, LCRA Transmission Services, and AEP (American Electric Power).

Transmission Easement

A transmission easement is a legal right that allows a utility company to place and maintain transmission lines on private property. The landowner continues to own the land, but certain uses of the property may be restricted within the easement area.

Segment

Utilities often divide large study areas in segments when evaluating possible transmission routes. These segments (such as G4, G5, G6, etc.) are planning sections used to study and compare different routes.

Intervenor

An intervenor is a person, landowner, organization, or government entity that formally participates in a PUC case. Intervenors may submit evidence, ask questions of witnesses, and present arguments during the regulatory review process.

SOAH - State Office of Administrative Hearings

SOAH is an independent Texas state agency that provides administrative judges for many types of regulatory cases, including some PUC proceedings. 

ALJ - Administrative Law Judge

An ALJ is an independent judge who manages the formal hearing process in many PUC cases. The ALJ oversees procedural matters, hears testimony from witnesses, reviews evidence submitted by the parties, and develops a written recommendation based on the record of the case. The ALJ does NOT make the final decision on whether a transmission line or route is approved. The final decision is made by the PUC Commissioners.

Advocate for Your Concerns Publicly

What Can I Do?

If you are concerned about how a proposed transmission project could affect your property or community, there are several ways people often choose to stay informed and participate in the process.

Connect with Other Landowners

As mentioned above, we encourage you to connect with neighbors and community groups who are also learning about this project. Sharing information and coordinating communication can help communities stay informed as the process develops, as well as understand any potential impacts. 

Coordinating with others in your area can help strengthen the collective voice of the community and ensure residents are prepared to respond if proposed routes or project plans change.

For a list of key websites and Facebook groups, please click here.

Attend Public Meetings

Public meetings, hearings, and community discussions can be opportunities to learn more about the project and hear from officials and other landowners. Participation in these meetings can also help ensure that community perspectives are part of the conversation.

Click here to find a list of public meetings.

Submit Public Comments to the PUC

Residents may submit comments to the PUC before and during the review process. Public comments allow landowners and community members to share their perspectives about the project on any topic ranging from property impacts and environmental considerations, to local knowledge of the area and community concerns.

*Please note - should you choose to intervene in the case at any point, all public comments you submit will be subject to the scrutiny of the other parties of the case.

For more about how to submit a letter to the PUC docket for the CCN Amendment Application (Control 59475) click here.

To visit the PUC Interchange Filer, where you can submit a letter of protest, or another filing, click here. 

Contact Elected Officials

Residents are encouraged to communicate with their elected officials about how projects like this could affect their communities.

Officials often include:

  • County Judge and Commissioners
  • State Representatives
  • State Senators
  • Governor Abbott and Lt Governor Patrick

Click here for a list of contact information for key representatives.

This app from American Energy Works will also email a letter to your State Rep and State Senator based on the zip code you input into the form.

Seek Professional Advice if Needed

If you believe the project may directly affect your property, you may wish to consult qualified professionals such as attorneys or land advisors who are familiar with transmission infrastructure and property rights.

Intervene in the Application

What is intervening?

If you have a legal interest in a case before the PUC and you want to formally participate in the proceedings you can file a motion to be an intervenor.

  • Intervenors typically make legal arguments, participate in formal hearings, file testimony, and can cross examine witnesses.
  • You must submit a written application explaining why you have a justiciable interest in a particular proceeding to be an intervenor. Commonly, in transmission line applications this would be because you are opposed to the siting, and your property is traversed or within 500 feet of 1 or more proposed route alternatives provided by the applicants.
  • The administrative law judge assigned to the case will approve or deny the applications to intervene.
  • If you intend to participate at the hearing and you do not file testimony, you must at least file a statement of position, which is a document that describes your position in the case.
  • Failure to comply with these procedural rules may serve as grounds for you to be dismissed as an intervenor in the case.
  • If you wish to participate in the proceedings it is very important to attend any prehearing conferences.
  • Intervenors may represent themselves or have an attorney to represent them in a CCN case. If you intervene in a case, you may want an attorney to help you understand the PUC’s procedures and the laws and rules that the PUC applies in deciding whether to approve a transmission line, but you are not required to have one to participate. 
  • The PUC encourages landowners to intervene and become parties.

 

How do I intervene?

The deadline to file a motion to intervene in the Oncor & LCRA TSC Bell County East to Big Hill 765kV proposal is April 27, 2026 at 5pm.

To become an intervenor, you must file a statement with the PUC by the deadline announced, requesting intervenor status (also referred to as a party). This statement should describe how the proposed transmission line would affect your property. Typically, intervention is granted only to directly affected landowners, where the line traverses the property or is within 500 feet of the center line. However, any landowner may request to intervene and obtain a ruling on his or her specific fact situation and concerns.  

For a deeper explanation of participating in the PUC docket, please feel free to view this video of the presentation I gave in Fort McKavett. 
- You can find the packet that I reference in the video here. 

Here is a form you can fill out and submit as your motion to intervene (you are not required to use this form).

Here is a helpful 2 minute video by the PUC on how to submit your form. 

To upload your motion to intervene, go to this site.

Here are written instructions on filing your motion to intervene.

 

The Bell County East to Big Hill 765kV application is Docket Control #59475