East Texas Banner: ‘Monster’ 18-Story Power Lines Targeted for East Texas: Landowners Outraged Over Proposed $100B Project

August 03, 2026

by Rita Shipp, East Texas Banner | news@easttexasbanner.com

A massive political and grassroots storm is brewing across East Texas. Residents in Smith and Van Zandt counties are aggressively mobilizing against a state-approved infrastructure plan. The plan could see monumental, ultra-high-voltage power towers permanently slice through family ranches, farms, and local residential properties.

The uproar surrounds the proposed 765-kilovolt (kV) Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan (STEP). This project represents a massive tier of power infrastructure completely unprecedented on the Texas grid. Advocacy groups warn that the sprawling project threatens more than 70,000 acres of private property statewide.

Giant Towers, Giant Costs

Local property owners say the sheer scale of the infrastructure is terrifying. The massive steel lattice towers are projected to stand between 140 and 180 feet tall—towering higher than the Statue of Liberty—and stretch up to 200 feet wide.

“Many people picture rural life, cows, horses, and wide-open land when they think of East Texas,” Canton resident Nancy White testified during a recent legislative panel. “But that image is in danger. These massive power lines will completely take over rural Texas if state leaders do not act soon.”

Beyond the immediate visual impact and ruined property values, critics are sounding the alarm over the project's staggering price tag. While initial capital development is estimated at $33 billion, independent policy experts project the total lifetime expense will skyrocket to nearly $100 billion. Under current ERCOT utility rules, that translates to an added burden of over $5,000 for every single residential ratepayer in the state.

How Residents Can Check the Maps

Because these 765-kV lines are early in the planning phases, utility companies have mapped out a sprawling web of dozens of potential alternate routes and "study areas" across the region rather than a single finalized path.

Local property owners who want to see if their acreage or hometown is in the crosshairs can track the route maps through three primary channels:

The Oncor Project Portals: As a main utility builder for these infrastructure segments, Oncor hosts digital mapping tools. Landowners can visit the Oncor Current Transmission Line Projects Portal to view active regional studies, downloadable PDF map grids, and parcel segments.

The PUCT Interchange: The official state regulatory clearinghouse allows residents to look up specific utility filings. By visiting the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) Interchange, users can search the open dockets associated with the 765-kV Permian Reliability Plan to see formal engineering schematics filed with the state.

Certified Mailings: By Texas law, utilities must send a physical certified letter to any deed holder whose land falls within or directly adjacent to a proposed transmission corridor. However, a major catalyst for the current public backlash stems from hundreds of landowners testifying they received these alerts too late or found the enclosed maps completely unreadable.

"Hauling Water to the Sea"

The primary goal of the 765-kV lines is to route wind and solar energy generated in other sectors of Texas directly into the Permian Basin. The energy is needed to fuel rapid industrial growth, localized oil and gas operations, and a booming influx of power-hungry tech data centers.

However, local agricultural coalitions and landowners are calling the project an unnecessary, multi-billion-dollar corporate land grab. Critics point out that the Permian Basin is already incredibly rich in its own natural gas reserves, meaning the multi-billion-dollar infrastructure corridor is essentially trying to "import energy across the state" where it isn't logically needed.

Furthermore, affected families allege they were completely blindsided by rushed, confusing notifications and constantly shifting route maps that left them with little to no time to legally defend their land.

Texas Leadership Step In

The boiling rural frustration culminated in a grueling, 15-hour marathon public hearing at the Texas State Capitol. Hundreds of furious Texans packed overflow rooms to look state lawmakers in the eyes. Even country music icon Tanya Tucker stepped up to the microphone, begging officials to reconsider the irreversible damage to historic family lands.

The intense backlash has successfully forced top Texas Republicans to do an abrupt about-face on the project.

State Senator Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce, issued a sharp public letter demanding that the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) flatly reject the pending infrastructure applications. Schwertner stated that the current process requires a "complete overhaul" before any lines can legally advance.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick quickly backed the freeze. “Support for ERCOT’s 765-kV transmission plan should not come at the expense of private property rights,” Patrick announced, promising that the Texas Legislature will step in to strip down and rewrite the utility rules during the upcoming legislative session.

While state regulators maintain that grid upgrades are crucial to prevent future blackouts, East Texas property owners are celebrating the temporary pause as a major victory for conservative land rights. The PUCT is expected to review the official calls for a delay during its high-stakes voting sessions later this month.

This Column First Ran in the East Texas Banner: www.easttexasbanner.com