VICTORIA—Landowners expressed opposition Saturday to the second phase of Texas’ proposed 765-kilovolt transmission line buildout at an open house, explaining that they do not want massive power lines crossing their properties. The meeting came one day after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and State Sen. Charles Schwertner urged regulators to reject applications for the project’s first phase.
The Hillje-Blu Lacy Transmission Improvement Project, proposed by CenterPoint Energy and AEP Texas, would stretch 155 miles from Wharton County to Nueces County if the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) approves it.
It is part of the broader Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan (STEP), a 765‑kV buildout critics say has become a de facto statewide grid plan without an explicit vote by state lawmakers. Part of the STEP Eastern line, which the board of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) approved in December 2025, the Hillje-Blue Lacy project would help form an “Eastern backbone” that, when fully built out, would connect with the proposed STEP Permian lines that would bring power from East Texas into the energy-rich Permian Basin.
At the Victoria ISD Event Center gym, CenterPoint staff handed out packets, walked attendees through route segments, and asked for feedback that will be folded into the company’s final PUCT filing.
Sarah Kist, CenterPoint Energy’s vice president of transmission development, said “this project is a resiliency and reliability project that we feel needs to move forward to support the grid and be able to support the local communities.” She said CenterPoint and AEP Texas expect to file their PUCT application for this project in early 2027.
Kist claimed the project would create about 1,400 new construction-linked jobs for roughly 2.5 years, more than $10 million in projected new property tax revenues for local governments, and reduce outages. She also claimed it would save customers $100 million by spreading project costs around all ERCOT ratepayers. “What happens is as you build these lines and you increase the amount of customers that are sharing those transmission costs, you’re able to save $100 million for this project being built,” she said.
Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Dr. Brent Bennett has estimated that the lifetime cost of all 765-kV projects that ERCOT has approved up to December 2025 approaches $100 billion, increasing ERCOT ratepayers’ bills more than $150 a year—a 7-8 percent increase on the average bill.
Several local landowners told Texas Scorecard they were already opposed.
Route Planning
Kist said CenterPoint invited the 1,200 landowners impacted by the Hillje-Blu Lacy project to the open house. Staff showed attendees if and where the project affects their land at two staffed computer stations.
Claude Koontz said his ranch has already had enough. “We’ve already borne, for the good of the public, two large power lines. One since 1965, one since 1973. In addition to that, a five-acre substation,” he said.
Dave Marlow, another landowner, said none of the current segments cross his property, but they do cross his family’s property. He doesn’t want that.
George Filley said his and his wife’s “initial impression” is that they would rather not have the line coming through their land. They said they did not learn about the open house until last week on the CenterPoint website.
“It’s cutting through old family land that obviously we’re living on for one thing, and cattle operations, hay operations,” he said. “Planned residential structures would be impacted … we’re talking about a 200-foot right of way across the south end of our place, and it impacts us as well as the neighbors for [a] significant distance.”
Gary Worsham said he’d “rather not have it,” but is open to the project. “I know electrical power is essential and it has to be done,” he said.
As previously reported, the properties of nearly 1,400 landowners were added in the STEP Permian lines after open meetings. One landowner said she was notified with little time to respond. When asked if more segments will be drawn afterwards, Kist replied that was not their intention if they can avoid it.
“If there were cases where we would need to add a segment, we want to partner with our landowners and our property owners, and so we would be speaking with them, and notifying them, and having the same conversations that we’re having with the landowners that are impacted by the segments you see on this map,” she said.
Mia Sarot, an activist helping landowners impacted by the STEP Permian lines, came to the open house. She told Texas Scorecard that based on feedback she received about the open houses Oncor held for the Bell County East to Big Hill line, CenterPoint’s was better.
Koontz and Marlow said the open house clearly explained how to participate in the process. “I think they’ve done a good job in trying to inform the public,” Marlow said. Filley said he was “not necessarily clear” yet on how to participate. “They gave us a packet. I want to do some research,” he said.
CenterPoint has given landowners until August 26 to submit responses to their survey. Koontz felt that was enough. Filley said “given our schedule, it’s a real short time.” Marlow did not know when the deadline was.
“I’d hate to think that this is a done deal. In other words, we’re here wasting our time, and you know we’re coming through your place no matter what,” Filley said. “If I thought that was the case, I’d be a little bit more upset than I am today.”
Sarot said everyone in the area, whether they’re currently impacted or not, should start getting involved and prepare to defend their land. Her website is scheduled to have information for landowners in this area by August 15.
Koontz is concerned about how large a voice people like him will have. “I don’t think rural Texas is getting the fair hearing that we need to hear about these huge projects, these massive 200-foot towers going across our property, of which we have, of course, through eminent domain, no power to stop,” he said.
“Texans expect and deserve a better energy future, and CenterPoint Energy is committed to building a more resilient, reliable, and affordable energy future for all our Texas customers, communities, local industries, and small businesses,” CenterPoint wrote in a statement. “CenterPoint Energy’s energy priorities and infrastructure procurement efforts are proudly aligned with the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act, and we are making sure this project is built by Texans, for Texas.” The full statement is available here.
CenterPoint invites landowners to submit their comments to Hillje-BluLacyResiliencyProject@CenterPointEnergy.com by August 26.
If you are a citizen with information regarding bureaucratic overreach, please email scorecardtips@protonmail.com
