By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Val Verde County landowners had a chance to ask questions and learn more about a
planned major electric transmission line during an event hosted by AEP Texas.
The event, held at the Enchanted Garden events center, took place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Wednesday. AEP Texas hosted a similar informational event in Ft. Stockton on
Thursday.
Dozens of AEP Texas staff, easily identified by their royal blue shirts, engaged visitors,
most of whom were county landowners with questions about where the proposed
transmission line will be sited.
AEP staffers emphasized that no decision has been made about where to place the line,
which will go from southwest of San Antonio to Ft. Stockton, a distance of about 350
miles.
Informational placards about the project were set on easels around the spacious interior of
the event center, allowing visitors to move from exhibit to exhibit, reading information
about the project, written in both English and Spanish.
One of the first placards spoke about the project review process.
It noted that “a
transmission addition is determined necessary for service reliability or connection of new
load/generation.”
According to a fact sheet on AEP’s website, www.aeptransmission.com, “The Howard-
Solstice Transmission Line Project involves building approximately 370 miles of 765-
kilovolt (KV) power line between AEP Texas’ Solstice Substation near Ft. Stockton and
CPS Energy’s Howard Substation southwest of San Antonio.”
The fact sheet also provided a short history of why the project was initiated.
The fact sheet reads, “Texas House Bill 5066, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2023
and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott, requires the PUCT (Public Utilities
Commission of Texas) to direct the Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to
develop and electric reliability plan for the Permian Basin region, which is an important
energy location for the state and national economies.”
Also, “The Public Utilities Commission of Texas requires AEP Texas officials to file a
Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) application for review and approval of
the project. Following the review of the CCN application, the PUCT determines the final
line route. AEP Texas representatives plan to file a CCN application for the (Howard-
Solstice Transmission Line Project) in early February 2026 and expect to receive a
response from the PUCT in summer 2026.”
A project timeline included in the fact sheet on the website shows that following approval
of the project from the PUCT, right-of-way easement acquisition will begin almost
immediately, in the summer of 2026 and is expected to continue until the fall of 2028.
Construction is then expected to begin in the fall of 2028, and the new transmission line
is expected to go into service in late 2030.
Potential route links for the transmission line projects were depicted on one of the
placards at the open house, with at least one potential route traversing portions of Val
Verde County.
Landowners attending the open house were encouraged to visit with AEP staff members
present, to ask questions, to leave written comments and to fill out questionnaires.
Two Val Verde County Commissioners Court members also attended the open house:
Commissioner Pct. 1 Kerr Wardlaw and Commissioner Pct. 3 Fernando Garcia.
“I came today to get information regarding the planned transmission line from Ft.
Stockton to San Antonio. We’ve heard a lot about it, and we’ve had special meetings
regarding it, and I just wanted to hear from the people involved what their thoughts
were,” Garcia told The 830 Times.
Garcia said he reviewed the exhibited information about the transmission line and spoke
with AEP staff and landowners at the event.
“I’ve been able to look at just about everything they brought in, and it seems very well-
planned. One thing I did learn was that the route is going to be picked by the PUCT and
not specifically by AEP or by CPS,” Garcia added.
Wardlaw said he still “doesn’t believe Val Verde County is the place for this line to come
through.”
Wardlaw, during a previous commissioners court meeting, said he believes the new
transmission line should follow the Interstate 10 corridor from San Antonio west. He
reiterated that belief during the open house.
“We have more sensitive ecosystems, more sensitive habitat, more sensitive species,
including several endangered species, so to me, there’s no question that AEP needs to
skirt around and avoid Val Verde County as much as possible,” Wardlaw said.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com .
