765-kV Transmission Lines | House State Affairs, 8.19.2026

Estimated Time to Read: 4 minutes

Texas Policy Research submitted the following written testimony to all members of the Texas House Committee on State Affairs ahead of its interim hearing.

• Committee: House Committee on State Affairs
• Hearing Date: August 19, 2026
• Context: 89th Legislature, Interim
• Subject: 765-kV Transmission Lines
• Position: Informational
• Texas Liberty Compact:
  • Restore Legislative Supremacy
  • Protect Economic Liberty & Due Process
  • Make Government Transparent
• Submitted By: Jeramy Kitchen
• Entity: Texas Policy Research Action (TPRA)

The text below reproduces the testimony as submitted to the committee.
The submitted document linked above is the authoritative version.

Chairman King and Members of the Committee,

Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments regarding the committee's review of the regulatory and planning processes for proposed 765-kV transmission lines.

Texas has long benefited from reliable, affordable electricity supported by competitive markets and prudent infrastructure investment. As population growth, industrial development, and increasing electricity demand continue, additional transmission infrastructure may become necessary. The question before policymakers is not whether Texas should invest in its electric grid, but whether that investment occurs through a process that is transparent, accountable, respectful of private property rights, and grounded in demonstrated need.

Recent discussions surrounding proposed 765-kV transmission lines have highlighted legitimate concerns raised by landowners, local officials, industry representatives, and policymakers alike. Many Texans support maintaining a reliable electric grid while remaining concerned that planning assumptions, routing decisions, and long-term forecasts may not always be sufficiently transparent or subject to meaningful legislative oversight. Transmission planning should be based upon demonstrated and reasonably foreseeable demand rather than speculative projections. While Texas should prepare for future economic growth, infrastructure investments of this magnitude should be supported by clear evidence that they will provide measurable reliability and economic benefits. Sound planning protects both taxpayers and electric ratepayers from unnecessary costs while preserving confidence in the state's electric market.

Private property rights should remain central to any transmission expansion. For many Texans, the greatest concern is not the existence of transmission infrastructure itself, but the process by which routes are selected and property is acquired. Landowners deserve meaningful notice, timely access to supporting information, genuine opportunities to participate before decisions become effectively final, and fair treatment throughout the regulatory process. Eminent domain should remain a tool of last resort, not one of administrative convenience. Greater transparency would also strengthen public confidence. ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission should continue improving public access to the assumptions, modeling, cost analyses, and reliability studies that inform major transmission decisions. Legislative oversight should remain an integral part of this process, particularly as Texas considers investments with significant long-term economic and property impacts.

Finally, Texas should continue adhering to market-based principles. New infrastructure should be planned to support actual economic activity rather than direct it. Costs should, to the greatest extent practicable, be borne by those creating the need for new infrastructure rather than broadly shifted onto existing ratepayers. This encourages efficient investment while preserving Texas' competitive electric market. Texas has built one of the nation's strongest economies by protecting private property, encouraging free enterprise, and investing in infrastructure where justified. Those principles remain compatible. The Legislature has an opportunity to ensure that future transmission planning strengthens grid reliability while preserving the liberty and property rights that have long distinguished Texas.

Thank you for your consideration

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Sources

• House Bill 5066 (HB 5066), 88th Legislative Session (2023)
• Texas Lawmaker Amicus Brief, PUC Docket No. 59029, June 2026
• Memorandum to Texas State Leadership, Texas Energy Organizations, June 10, 2026
• Permian Basin Reliability Plan, Public Utility Commission of Texas
• PUCT Approves Plan for the First Extra High Voltage Transmission Lines in ERCOT Region, Public Utility Commission of Texas, April 2025
• Load Forecast, Electric Reliability Council of Texas
• An Economic Assessment of the 765-kV Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan, Texas Public Policy Foundation, June 2026

Related TPR Work

• TPR Bill Analysis, Senate Bill 6 (SB 6), 89th Legislative Session (2025)
• Texas 765-kV Transmission Debate Intensifies, June 2026
• Texas Senate Committee Weighs 765-kV Transmission Debate, July 2026
• Build the Grid. Protect the Land. Keep Texas Free, April 2026
• TPR Written Testimony, Data Centers, House Committee on State Affairs, August 19, 2026

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