Local officials, residents and Texas lawmakers press PUC to delay proposed 765 kV lines and data-center projects
June 22, 2026 | Erath County, Texas
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Somerville, Texas ' On June 22, local officials, landowners and state legislators told the Somerville Subregional Planning Commission they are pressing the Texas Public Utility Commission to delay or consolidate review of proposed 765-kilovolt transmission lines and related data-center hookups while lawmakers and regulators assess water, grid and environmental risks.
Representative Slawson told the commission that a Texas Public Policy Foundation report and an amicus brief backed by legislators helped prompt the PUC to abate one proceeding: "We were very pleased first off to have 43 legislators sign on to that brief. I think the breakdown was 34 representatives and nine senators," he said, describing an effort to have the PUC consider all five proposed projects together rather than one segment at a time.
Why it matters: speakers said isolated rulings on individual segments would, in their view, risk presupposing a broader need for multiple new transmission corridors before the full scope of demand, water use and siting impacts is assessed. Commissioners and residents raised potential effects on aquifers, ranching and protected lands including Dinosaur Valley State Park.
Commissioner Chip Joselyn pressed for concrete figures on energy demand and water use, saying local officials had not received clear responses from some companies: "I feel like I've been bamboozled a little bit," he said, asking whether studies exist showing how many gigawatts data centers will consume.
A planning participant cited a news report that Microsoft and Chevron had announced a power-plant agreement called Project Kilby to provide about 2.67 gigawatts of capacity and a power-plant-side investment of roughly $10 billion; speakers said the announcement did not specify whether that capacity would change local transmission needs.
Advocacy and legal strategy: a representative of American Stewards of Liberty said the group filed a motion asking the PUC to merge all five segments; the PUC merged two segments but not all, which the speaker said would likely defer local proceedings until late August. "The main goal is just to stop it. Period," the representative said.
Residents described grassroots organizing: volunteers assembling an email list of about 400 people, petition drives, templates for public comments and plans to travel to Austin for hearings. One participant reported the PUC case attracted more than 5,600 filings in one instance, underlining the level of public engagement.
Environmental and health concerns: speakers including resident Sandra Bulos warned against fast-tracking permits for gas-fired generation tied to data centers and urged stronger oversight by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Bulos described worries about brackish-water use for cooling and the effect on local streams and species, saying regulators must enforce monitoring and limits.
Use of local authority and next steps: commission leaders said they would use Local Government Code 391 to demand coordination and documentation from developers. As one official explained, that statute gives the commission authority to require coordination and to press for analyses and permits; the commission planned to send a letter to Encore seeking underlying studies that officials say the company cited in public meetings.
Timing: speakers said the PUC abated one proceeding with a unanimous decision and that a related proceeding affecting the local area could be rescheduled in mid-August. One participant identified Aug. 18 as a key procedural date; commission leaders urged residents to submit comments, show up at hearings and continue outreach to state offices.
The commission and its legislative guests said they would continue pushing for consolidation of proceedings, fuller environmental review and legislative options to address transmission routing and data-center siting. The commission adjourned after thanking volunteers and advocacy partners and promising further coordination with Encore and state offices.
(Reporting note: Quotes and attributions are taken from the June 22 transcript of the Somerville Subregional Planning Commission meeting.)
Representative Slawson told the commission that a Texas Public Policy Foundation report and an amicus brief backed by legislators helped prompt the PUC to abate one proceeding: "We were very pleased first off to have 43 legislators sign on to that brief. I think the breakdown was 34 representatives and nine senators," he said, describing an effort to have the PUC consider all five proposed projects together rather than one segment at a time.
Why it matters: speakers said isolated rulings on individual segments would, in their view, risk presupposing a broader need for multiple new transmission corridors before the full scope of demand, water use and siting impacts is assessed. Commissioners and residents raised potential effects on aquifers, ranching and protected lands including Dinosaur Valley State Park.
Commissioner Chip Joselyn pressed for concrete figures on energy demand and water use, saying local officials had not received clear responses from some companies: "I feel like I've been bamboozled a little bit," he said, asking whether studies exist showing how many gigawatts data centers will consume.
A planning participant cited a news report that Microsoft and Chevron had announced a power-plant agreement called Project Kilby to provide about 2.67 gigawatts of capacity and a power-plant-side investment of roughly $10 billion; speakers said the announcement did not specify whether that capacity would change local transmission needs.
Advocacy and legal strategy: a representative of American Stewards of Liberty said the group filed a motion asking the PUC to merge all five segments; the PUC merged two segments but not all, which the speaker said would likely defer local proceedings until late August. "The main goal is just to stop it. Period," the representative said.
Residents described grassroots organizing: volunteers assembling an email list of about 400 people, petition drives, templates for public comments and plans to travel to Austin for hearings. One participant reported the PUC case attracted more than 5,600 filings in one instance, underlining the level of public engagement.
Environmental and health concerns: speakers including resident Sandra Bulos warned against fast-tracking permits for gas-fired generation tied to data centers and urged stronger oversight by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Bulos described worries about brackish-water use for cooling and the effect on local streams and species, saying regulators must enforce monitoring and limits.
Use of local authority and next steps: commission leaders said they would use Local Government Code 391 to demand coordination and documentation from developers. As one official explained, that statute gives the commission authority to require coordination and to press for analyses and permits; the commission planned to send a letter to Encore seeking underlying studies that officials say the company cited in public meetings.
Timing: speakers said the PUC abated one proceeding with a unanimous decision and that a related proceeding affecting the local area could be rescheduled in mid-August. One participant identified Aug. 18 as a key procedural date; commission leaders urged residents to submit comments, show up at hearings and continue outreach to state offices.
The commission and its legislative guests said they would continue pushing for consolidation of proceedings, fuller environmental review and legislative options to address transmission routing and data-center siting. The commission adjourned after thanking volunteers and advocacy partners and promising further coordination with Encore and state offices.
(Reporting note: Quotes and attributions are taken from the June 22 transcript of the Somerville Subregional Planning Commission meeting.)
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