Overview
- The Public Utility Commission voted on Friday, Aug. 30, 2026, to approve two Oncor 765‑kilovolt segments totaling about 424.2 miles with combined estimated costs near $3.95 billion.
- Commissioners postponed action on the 370‑mile Howard–Solstice line from San Antonio to Fort Stockton for further review after intense Hill Country opposition.
- The PUCT ordered Oncor to negotiate local route changes with landowners to avoid bisecting properties even as administrative law judges found one case had not fully met a public‑meeting rule.
- Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a brief calling for a pause until the Legislature can review the plan, and landowner groups and lawmakers are preparing legal and political challenges.
- Supporters and grid planners say the 765‑kV build will move large loads to the Permian and reduce near‑term reliability risk, while critics point to compressed 180‑day permitting, higher initial costs versus 345‑kV options, and long‑term ratepayer impacts.