SENATOR KOLKHORST PRAISES PUC POWER LINE DECISION
The Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) voted today to require the use of less-intrusive monopoles along the route of a controversial power line that will run through Grimes, Waller and Harris Counties. The decision was praised by Senator Lois Kolkhorst, who has been working with concerned local landowners for months to reduce the impact of the power line, particularly in Waller County.
The vote came today after the PUC had previously voted that monopoles would be used in only certain areas of the route. Waller and Grimes county were to receive the larger lattice-type poles. Kolkhorst wrote a letter last month asking the Commission to re-open the issue and strongly advocated to the Commission that all landowners along the route deserved the less intrusive monopoles, not just a select few.
"This decision is a victory for property owners," said Kolkhorst. "My constituents have been pleading for months that the large metal lattice towers would not only be visually unappealing but also be incredibly intrusive to property owners. I'm pleased that the commission agreed. With monopoles, more property owners will be protected along the route."
The Brazos Valley Connection is a 345 kV electric transmission line which has been deemed necessary to enhance reliability through increasing available electric supply to the rapidly growing West Houston area. It is slated to be completed by summer 2018 and will span nearly seventy miles.
The project began when the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) identified the need for a transmission line into Harris County to improve the electric grid.
"Texas is one of the fastest growing states in the nation, and we need a dependable power supply," Kolkhorst said. "Using monopoles means that the state is respecting the property rights of my constituents along the route of this power line. Losing land for the benefit of all is never easy. The state should always strive to lessen the impact to the private property owners."