Brown County court adopts resolution opposing Encore's proposed 765 kV transmission line
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Summary
Brown County Commissioners Court voted Feb. 9, 2026 to approve a resolution formally opposing Encore Corporation's proposed 765 kV transmission line route that would cross Brown County; local residents cited property, cultural and health concerns and the county noted the Public Utilities Commission process and costs to intervene.
The Brown County Commissioners Court on Feb. 9, 2026 voted to approve a resolution opposing Encore Corporation's proposed 765-kilovolt transmission line, citing potential adverse physical, environmental and economic impacts to the county.
Local landowners and organized groups filled the public-comment portion of the meeting to urge commissioners to oppose the project. "33,000,000,000," said Dennis McVeyeth, expressing his view of the project's cost and warning that ratepayers would shoulder the expense; he told the court the line would create a new utility corridor and would "devalue nearby property." Joanie Powell, speaking for a coalition that includes multiple groups and municipalities, said the PUC and ERCOT's authority over routing feels "largely unchecked" and asked Brown County to add its voice to neighboring counties that oppose the route.
Why it matters: Encore's route choices will be filed with the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUC), which triggers regulatory review and a 30-day window for interested parties to intervene. Several commenters said legal and expert representation for interveners is costly; one resident described a multi-county coordination effort and the challenge of hiring attorneys and technical experts to participate in the PUC process.
The resolution read into the record says Encore has sought PUC approval to construct the proposed line and that county officials assert Encore has "made no effort to share detailed project plans with the County of Brown" and has not sufficiently considered "substantial physical, environmental and economic impacts." The resolution states the county's oversight responsibility to protect public property and community resources and declares the court's formal opposition to the proposed Brown County routes.
During public comment, speakers raised a range of concerns: potential destruction of Native American artifacts and damage to the Comanche trail, interference with current and future mineral-drilling operations, and personal health concerns for people who said they feel symptoms near existing lines. "I've just seen about this yesterday ... it gives me heart palpitations," Brianna Riffle said, describing why she opposes the route near her recently purchased property.
The court moved to adopt the resolution after staff read the proposed text. A motion to approve was made and seconded; commissioners asked those "in favor" to raise their hands and the resolution was approved by voice/hand vote. The transcript does not include a roll-call tally.
Next steps: speakers at the meeting said Encore plans to submit its route choice to the PUC imminently, after which affected landowners and counties will have a regulatory window to intervene. The resolution records Brown County's formal opposition but does not itself change the PUC's administrative process.
Sources: Public comment and the resolution text read into the Brown County Commissioners Court meeting record (Feb. 9, 2026).
