A government agency participating in a statewide 765-kilovolt transmission line project has asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton if communications with other transmission companies, regulators, and lobbyists can be withheld.
The 765-kV project has come under heightened scrutiny after landowners’ complaints of lack of proper notice, short timelines, and due process problems.
Texas Scorecard sent the Lower Colorado River Authority a Public Information Act request for these communications on July 7.
On August 4, Vic Ramirez, senior associate general counsel for the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), wrote to Paxton’s office that LCRA “determined that the requested information may be excepted from disclosure.” Pointing to multiple sections of the Public Information Act, Ramirez wrote that “LCRA is exercising its right to request an opinion from your office and decline to release certain information requested for the purpose of requesting an Attorney General decision.”
The LCRA Transmission Services Corporation has partnered with electricity delivery company Oncor on two segments of a proposed 765-kV line—Bell County East to Big Hill and Big Hill to Sand Lake—spanning from just north of Austin to six miles northeast of Pecos. These segments make up the more than 370-mile center of three proposed 765-kV lines to bring power from East Texas into the energy-rich Permian Basin. Collectively, these lines are called the Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan (STEP) Permian lines. The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) must approve the final route for each of these lines.
Texas Scorecard requested LCRA’s email communications with Oncor, PUCT, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), as well as with American Electric Power and CPS Energy, both of which have proposed routes for the southern 765-kV line.
The request also covered LCRA’s communications with the Association of Electric Companies of Texas (AECT), which has partnered with Oncor and AEP Texas in a transmission coalition promoting the 765-kV project. LCRA, Oncor, AEP Texas, and CPS Energy are all AECT members. The request also sought communications with AECT lobbyists.
The request’s timeframe was from March 1, 2025 to the date a search was conducted.
After a marathon July 29 state senate committee hearing where impacted landowners cried out for help, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and State Sen. Charles Schwertner (R–Georgetown) called for PUCT to deny all pending applications until after lawmakers have reformed the approval process.
Critics have argued that PUCT, ERCOT, and Oncor transformed a regional reliability directive into a de facto statewide 765‑kV grid plan. PUCT Chairman Thomas Gleeson admitted that PUCT had pursued the 765-kV project without an explicit vote by lawmakers.
An ERCOT spokesperson wrote that “ERCOT has no comment at this time.” LCRA, PUCT, AEP Texas, AECT, and CPS Energy did not respond to a request for comment before publication. Oncor referred to LCRA’s media team.
The STEP Permian lines are the first of a multi-phase 765-kV transmission line project.
The second phase are the STEP Eastern and Western lines, which the ERCOT board approved in December 2025.
PUCT is scheduled to consider both segments of the center pathway on September 25 and October 2.
