The Texas Public Utilities Commission (PUC) on Tuesday delayed a decision on where Entergy will build a 150-mile high-voltage transmission line, a project designed to power Houston's fast-growing suburbs.
After hours of debate in Austin, the Commissioner said they would revisit the issue at their October meeting, putting landowners and local officials in a difficult situation.
En Espanol: puc retrasadecisiónsorelíneaseléctricas de Entertainment en entergy en livingston y willis y willis
Specialist signaled preference but delayed voting
PUC Chair Thomas Gleeson said he tends to route the route across Lake Livingston. “I'm still not ready to make a decision. I'll say for me, I think this is down to 10 and 10 mods.” His comments sparked a strong reaction from the Hubei and southern communities.
Willis Residents: Risk Homes and Barns
In Montgomery County, Willis residents say a version of the project will destroy their neighborhoods. “We are all losing property. We are frustrated by the process,” said one homeowner.
Another Willis resident, George Webster, told KPRC 2 that the program will run directly on his house. “It’s ridiculous…We have four neighbors and it will destroy our community.”
Other residents argued that they never received proper notice about the project and had no fair opportunity for intervention. “They didn't receive a letter, and the notification was terrible,” Grant Darnell said.
Lake Livingston Problems: Water Supply and Safety
Lake Livingston is one of the largest reservoirs in Texas, providing nearly 70% of Houston drinking water. City officials who own and operate the lake and the Trinity River Authority (TRA) object to any route that requires building towers in the reservoir.
“Tra opposes any route…this will lead to a transmission line across Lake Livingston as other docks and support structures required for the proposed project will create barriers and public safety threats that do not exist at present,” said Benny Fogelman, a member of the TRA board of directors.
Opponents also pointed out environmental issues. The national health agency has previously identified dioxins and PCBs in lake bed sediments, resulting in warnings that certain fish are eaten from the lake. Some residents worry that construction will stir up these pollutants and affect millions of water quality.
The location of Entergy
The Entergy representative told the commissioner that the program was necessary to improve reliability in Southeast Texas. Company Attorney Everett Britt said the utility looked forward to answering questions but retained most of the comments to close. Officials stressed that the line will help meet the growing demands of Montgomery, Walker, Polk, Trinity and surrounding counties.
Entergy believes the proposed route is technically feasible, constructable, company witness proof, routing decisions weigh factors such as cost, environmental impact and the number of affected houses.
What's next
PUC will revisit the case in October. Before this, both parties were preparing other documents and briefs. The Willis family hopes that the commissioner will block any routes carved in the house. Houston leaders and the Trinity River Authority continued to rush towards the lake transit.
Currently, the decision to reshape the community from Willis to Lake Livingston remains unresolved.
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