Residents urge county to oppose proposed 765 kV transmission line; commissioners direct attorney to draft resolution

Residents voiced opposition to a proposed 765 kV transmission line during public comment at the Aug. 4 meeting of the McCulloch County Commissioner's Court, citing safety and environmental concerns, and the court subsequently directed the county attorney to draft a formal resolution.

Terry Phillips and Dave Edmiston addressed the court about the proposed line, arguing that "only six states have a 765 kV transmission line" and that such infrastructure could pose fire hazards and be detrimental to public health and wildlife, according to their remarks recorded in the meeting transcript.

County Judge Frank Trull said he had spoken with Jaren Taylor, an attorney for ONCOR, who said he would be willing to speak to the court but expressed concern about handling a large number of citizen questions and suggested that concerns about routing be directed to the Public Utility Commission, which has authority over transmission routing.

Following public comment, Commissioner Randy Deans moved, and Commissioner Don Bratton seconded, that County Attorney Greg Torres prepare a resolution outlining the county's concerns and potential ramifications of the proposed 765 kV transmission line; the motion was recorded as approved by the court.

Why it matters: High-voltage transmission projects can involve federal and state permitting and routing decisions and raise local concerns about land use, fire risk and environmental effects. The county's formal resolution would state local concerns and could be submitted to state agencies and project proponents for consideration.

Next steps: The county attorney is assigned to draft the resolution and return it to the court for consideration and potential adoption.