The Public Utility Commission of Texas has approved a route for the Howard to Solstice 765-kilovolt transmission line through Val Verde County. The commission's final order, filed Sept. 18 in Docket No. 59336, amends the certificates of AEP Texas and CPS Energy to build and operate the single-circuit line across 14 counties, including Val Verde, Kinney, Uvalde, Edwards and Bexar.
Commissioners rejected the route recommended by administrative law judges and approved a modified version called Route 4 Mod 1. The commission said the route is about 368.5 miles long and is estimated to cost about $2.15 billion, which is less than the original Route 4. It also parallels more than 23.6 additional miles of existing transmission right-of-way. The utilities have until October 2028 to acquire right-of-way and land, and the target for finishing the line is October 2030.
Val Verde County residents had raised concerns in the docket that the line could cross land owned by GH America Energy, a company majority-owned by a Chinese firm. In a public comment filed Sept. 8, landowner Randy Nunns said the company holds more than 110,000 acres in the county. He argued that many proposed routes could cross its tracts, in probable violation of the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act. The 2021 state law bars agreements that give companies owned by citizens or governments of China, Russia, Iran or North Korea access to or control of certain infrastructure.