A Houston-area land conservation group is urging residents to oppose parts of a proposed CenterPoint transmission project, warning that new power lines planned for a fast-growing corner of northwest Harris County could cut through protected prairie lands.
The Coastal Prairie Conservancy said several route options are under review for the Becker 345 kV project in the Hockley area that would affect the historic Warren Ranch, a 6,004-acre property conserved by the group and the Warren family.
CenterPoint Energy said the Hockley Transmission Improvements project is meant to meet rising electricity demand in one of the region’s fastest-growing areas while improving long-term grid reliability and storm resilience.
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“Hockley continues to be a high-growth area,” CenterPoint said in a statement, noting the community nearly doubled in population from 2010 to 2020. The company said the project includes about five miles of high-voltage transmission lines and a new substation designed to withstand more extreme weather, including hurricane-force winds up to 140 mph.
A map shows proposed route segments under review for CenterPoint’s Hockley transmission project, including routes opposed by conservation advocates.
CenterPoint
CenterPoint also said the project would support future economic growth, create construction-related jobs, generate business opportunities for local companies and bring about $400,000 in annual property tax revenue, with roughly half going to local schools.
But the conservancy argues the proposal appears to be largely driven by the needs of a single expanding customer requiring major new electric capacity.
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“We recognize the need to plan for growth in the Hockley area, but infrastructure decisions should not come at the expense of lands that are already protected for the public good,” President and CEO Mary Anne Piacentini told Chron.
An overview map from the Coastal Prairie Conservancy shows protected lands across the region, including areas near proposed CenterPoint route options.
Coastal Prairie Conservancy
“As proposed, the Becker 345 kV project appears primarily driven by a single large data center,” she said, adding that routing transmission lines across conserved lands would place “an outsized burden” on properties that already provide flood protection, water quality benefits and wildlife habitat for the Houston region.
According to the conservancy, CenterPoint is considering 19 route segments, with one final path to be selected after public review. CenterPoint said it is currently in the early planning stage and gathering feedback from landowners, agencies, environmental groups and community members before submitting an application to the Public Utility Commission of Texas later this summer.
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Warren Ranch has become a flashpoint in the debate over new power infrastructure in the fast-growing Hockley area.
Hannah Harrison/Texas A&M AgriLife
The utility said the commission, not CenterPoint, will make the final route decision through a public review process.
The conservancy is specifically asking opponents to push for the removal of Segments 5, 15 and 17.
Two of those segments would cross the northern portion of Warren Ranch, while another would run through or directly beside the ranch’s eastern boundary and a nearby conservation easement, the group said.
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The conservancy says those lands were intentionally preserved to serve multiple public uses, including flood mitigation, water storage, agricultural production, migratory bird habitat along the Central Flyway and recreation at the Matt Cook Memorial Wildlife Viewing Platform near Warren Lake.
It warns that placing high-voltage transmission lines there could fragment prairie and wetlands, disrupt wildlife corridors, require long-term vegetation clearing, increase invasive species risks and alter scenic landscapes.
CenterPoint said it recognizes the importance of conserved land in and around Hockley and is working to avoid or minimize impacts to prairies, farmland and other environmentally sensitive areas. The company said it has met directly with the Coastal Prairie Conservancy three times and is coordinating with more than a dozen federal, state and local agencies as part of the review.
The Coastal Prairie Conservancy says protected lands at Warren Ranch should be avoided in the route selection process.
Hannah Harrison/Texas A&M AgriLife
“These lands were intentionally protected to serve as long-term natural infrastructure for Greater Houston,” Piacentini said. “There are viable alternatives that avoid these impacts, and those options, including routes outside conserved areas or the no-build option, deserve serious consideration.”
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The nonprofit, formerly known as the Katy Prairie Conservancy, has become a major player in preserving open space on Houston’s western edge. It now protects more than 33,600 acres of coastal prairie, wetlands, farms and ranches across Southeast Texas.
Earlier this year, the group also announced new growth for the Katy Prairie Preserve, continuing a yearslong effort to conserve one of the region’s most important remaining prairie landscapes.
CenterPoint said public input remains open as the planning process continues.
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