Texas Scorecard by Robert Montoya April 7, 2026
Concerns heighten about Texas’ increasing reliance on unreliable solar and wind energy.State Sen. Kevin Sparks expressed concerns about a plan to build extra-high-voltage transmission lines into the energy-resource-rich Permian Basin, specifically issues such as property rights, reliable power generation, and its cost to ratepayers.
Known as the Permian Basin Reliability Plan, lawmakers originally authorized it as a limited fix for a specific region. The Public Utility Commission of Texas expanded it into a broader build‑out. The state agencies involved in the process expanded the project beyond its limits with minimal public input. Aside from Texans being burdened by increased costs, the expansion could lead to other large projects being launched with little direct accountability.
“I probably represent more land being crossed by these three 765kV lines than anybody else here,” Sparks (R–Midland) said during the April 1 hearing of the Senate Committee on Business & Commerce. “It concerns me that we’re going to—and I get calls daily, multiple times a day—wind up eminent domaining a bunch of property.”
He questioned Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) Chair Thomas Gleeson about the total cost of the roughly 1,400-mile, $30 billion to $40 billion project.
“I hear we’re going to put off talking about cost allocation, while at the same time we’re marching forward at light speed,” he told Gleeson. “That cost has got to go somewhere. I think I’ve been told that some of that transportation allocation to West Texas is some of the highest in the state.”
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/state/senator-questions-33-billion-power-grab-in-permian-basin/
