AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas House State Affairs Committee heard testimony weighing data centers and transmission lines to power them today.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) plans to build hundreds of miles of 765 kV transmission lines, high-voltage lines capable of transporting power across Texas and powering large load customers such as data centers.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | ERCOT approves $9 billion project to meet Texas electricity demands
However, some Texans traveled to Austin to voice their concerns about the transmission lines project, arguing that the approval process has been progressing too fast and without enough public input.
Texans gathered outside the State Capitol to speak out against the pace of ERCOT’s 765 kV transmission line project (Photo: CBS Austin)
Landowners and conservation advocates were among the group that gathered in front of the Texas Capitol ahead of the hearing, arguing that the lines would impact private lands and natural areas.
“We want to work with these corporations to ensure that these consequences are fully understood before the irreversible decisions are made, ” said Jada Jo Smith, President of the Hill Country Preservation Coalition. “These are forever projects. They will change the entire landscape of our state.”
There is also debate about who would shoulder the cost burden of the transmission line infrastructure.
KEYE
Dr. Prasad Enjeti, an Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor at Texas A&M University, explains that state law directs the large load customers to pay.
“The data center or the large load guys are expected to pay for much of the cost and then not have much impact on the consumers left paying for this infrastructure,” he said.
But as Benjamin Barkley, Chief Executive and Public Counsel of the state’s Office of Public Utility Counsel, testified to the committee, “Minimum demand charges currently drafted are for 20 years. The cost you pay for transmission infrastructure is longer than that, sometimes up to 40 or 50 years. So once the minimum billing demand charge is done, those costs are going to shift to everyone, not just the large load customers at that infrastructure was built for.”
Governor Greg Abbott has halted approvals for all data centers seeking to connect to the Texas electric grid, mandating an audit of their water and electricity usage.
RELATED | Trump criticizes Abbott moratorium on Texas data centers connecting to power grid
However, opponents of the transmission line project want him to go further.
“Governor Abbott, call a special session,” said Romey Swanson, Executive Director of the Devils River Conservancy. “Give the legislature the opportunity to build a transmission planning and siting process worthy of the scale of what Texas is proposing and worthy of Texans being asked to carry its cost.”
Many of the citizens who rallied in front of the Texas Capitol today said they are not opposed to bolstering the grid’s infrastructure, but they want more time to voice their concerns.
“Texas is going to grow. We need a reliable electric grid. We need transmission,” said Swanson. “But building fast is not the same as building well.”
“This is bigger than transmission lines. It’s about property rights, transparency, and accountability,” added Mia Sarot, founder of the Hill Country Land and Legacy Alliance. “And fundamentally, it’s about whether ordinary Texans have any real ability to influence decisions affecting their property, their community, and their future.”
If a special session is not called, any legislative changes would have to be proposed at the 2027 legislative session in January.