USA, Texas, Austen: The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) has approved the route for Entergy Texas’s Southeast Texas (SETEX) Reliability Project, a 500 kV transmission line designed to strengthen the regional grid and support growing energy demand across eight East Texas counties.
The commission’s decision, reached at a meeting in Austin after a brief delay for further review, gives the green light to Route 10, which will cross Lake Livingston between Trinity and Onalaska. The project will connect the proposed Babel 500 kV switching station in Newton County with the future Running Bear substation in Montgomery County, spanning roughly 257 km (160 mi) through Jasper, Montgomery, Newton, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler and Walker counties.
Entergy Texas CEO Eliecer Viamontes welcomed the approval, calling it “a major step toward building a resilient power grid that supports long-term economic expansion and future energy needs.” The company said the new line will provide stronger transmission capacity to accommodate rapid population and industrial growth in the region, as well as enhance reliability during extreme weather events like Winter Storm Uri.
The project, which uses steel single-circuit 500 kV structures standing between 30 and 42 m (100 and 140 feet) high, will include spans of up to 365 m (1,200 ft) and a right-of-way up to 68 m (225 ft) wide.
However, local opposition remains strong. Residents and officials from the area have raised concerns about environmental risks, potential water contamination, and reduced property values. Houston, which draws 70 % of its drinking water from Lake Livingston, urged the commission to consider alternate routing.
Despite objections, the PUCT concluded that the approved route provides the best balance between reliability, feasibility, and existing development. Construction timelines for the SETEX project are expected to be announced following final engineering and permitting.
Source: East Texas News
