Bell County East – Big Hill 765 kV Transmission Line Project

• A new single-circuit 765 kV steel-lattice high voltage transmission line is proposed, linking Oncor’s Bell County East Switch (near Temple, Bell County) with a new 765 kV Big Hill Substation being built by LCRA TSC adjacent to their existing 345 kV Big Hill site. (Oncor)
• The line would span ~199 miles, traversing numerous counties including Bell, Burnet, Concho, Coryell, Lampasas, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Milam, San Saba, Schleicher, Tom Green, and Williamson. (LCRA)
• Oncor will be responsible for the eastern portion; LCRA TSC for the western portion, each owning/operating their segment. (LCRA)
• To inform the route design, public meetings were held in June 2025 (Salado, Lampasas, Menard), and feedback was collected via questionnaires and route maps. (LCRA)
• Oncor/LCRA filed their joint application for a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) with the Texas Public Utilities Commission on March 26, 2026.
• Property owners potentially impacted by the proposed transmission line received notice of the filing, and hundreds of landowners have either protested the line or intervened in the PUC proceeding.
• The filings can be accessed here.
• The PUC referred the matter to the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) to assign an administrative law judge and to conduct a hearing on the project, which is typical.  That order can be accessed here.
• The hearing occurred on June 8-12, 2026, and various parties submitted post-hearing briefs in late June.
• Oncor/LCRA identified “Route 894” as their preferred route.  However, PUC Staff has identified a different route – “Route 487” – as the one it recommends for the transmission line.  Route 487 differs from Route 894 starting at Highway 281 south of Lampasas to Highway 16 north of Cherokee.  The PUC Staff preferred route also differs from Oncor/LCRA’s preferred route starting at Highway 190 southwest of Brady through western McCullough County and through most of Menard County.
• Extensive testimony from Oncor/LCRA, PUC Staff, and landowners was submitted to the court.
• Under Texas law, the PUC must either approve or deny Oncor/LCRA’s application within 180 days after it is filed – that deadline is September 22, 2026.
• Once the PUC issues its decision, Oncor/LCRA is expected to quickly begin efforts to acquire easements along the approved line.

Technical & Physical Impacts

• Tower design: The project will use self-supporting steel lattice towers. (Oncor)
• Towers are expected to be well over 150 feet tall, spaced approximately 1,100 feet apart, and will require easement widths of 200 feet or more.
• Structure spacing and easement width are not fixed yet, but the line will impose significant vertical clearance, robust foundations, and permanent access paths.
• Major impacts to agriculture, ranching, irrigation, wildlife, viewscapes, drainage, fencing, roads and other property functions are all possible.
• Oncor/LCRA will likely attempt to use past examples of easement acquisition costs for lower voltage transmission lines to determine the easement values for this, first of its kind, 765 kV line.
• But this line is not just taller and wider, it is fundamentally different in kind.  Landowners need lawyers experienced at evaluating damage to rural farm and ranch property and presenting that evidence to judges and juries to ensure that they receive fair, adequate, and full compensation.