EDITORIAL: Show Up July 16: Region Gets Chance to Question CPS Energy on Howard– Solstice Line at Public Meeting in Uvalde

Residents across Uvalde, Kinney and surrounding counties will have a chance to hear directly from CPS Energy about the proposed Howard–Solstice 765-kilovolt transmission line at a public meeting Thursday, July 16, at 6 p.m. at the Uvalde Fairplex, 215 Veterans Lane, Uvalde.

The meeting is being hosted by the Texas Border Sub-Regional Planning Commission, which invited CPS Energy to meet with local officials and discuss the project’s regional impact. CPS Energy is responsible for planning and building the eastern portion of the Howard-to-Solstice line. The utility has confirmed that a representative will attend to discuss the project and answer questions from the Commission.

This is not a routine power line. The Howard–Solstice project is part of the larger Permian Basin Reliability Plan, a major transmission buildout intended to move power across Texas to meet growing electric demand in the Permian Basin. The Public Utility Commission of Texas describes the plan as one developed by ERCOT at the direction of the PUCT after House Bill 5066 directed state regulators to address electric reliability needs in the region.

AEP Texas describes Howard–Solstice as a jointly assigned project with CPS Energy. The project would include approximately 370 miles of 765-kV transmission line between AEP Texas’ Solstice Substation near Fort Stockton and CPS Energy’s Howard Substation southwest of San Antonio. The pending PUCT case identifies the project as a single-circuit 765-kV line in Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Crockett, Edwards, Kerr, Kinney, Medina, Pecos, Real, Sutton, Terrell, Uvalde and Val Verde counties. For Southwest Texas, the concern is clear. The line may be planned for statewide electric reliability, but the burden of routing, easements, towers, construction, land fragmentation and long-term land use impacts could fall heavily on rural counties, ranches and private landowners.

Local officials and residents have already raised strong concerns about the project and its possible effect on property rights, ranching, tourism, conservation, scenic landscapes and future development. The July 16 meeting gives the public another chance to show that the region is paying attention and expects local voices to be heard before decisions are made that could shape the area for generations. Attendance matters. A full room sends a message that rural communities are not passive corridors for major infrastructure projects. It also gives residents a chance to hear CPS Energy’s position directly, learn more about the process and see what questions local governments are asking on behalf of the region. The meeting is open to the public. Residents who own property near a proposed route, operate a ranch or business, care about regional land use, or simply want to understand how the Howard–Solstice line could affect Southwest Texas are strongly encouraged to attend.

This project will not affect only one landowner or one county. It could affect the character, economy and landscape of the region for decades. The public should make every effort to be present Thursday, July 16, at 6 p.m. at the Uvalde Fairplex.