Energy
 
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Clear Springs-to-Hutto project
LCRA affiliate plans to build transmission line in Caldwell, Guadalupe, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties

Project update:  Between Feb. 4 and Feb. 15, the Lower Colorado River Authority Transmission Services Corporation (LCRA TSC) participated in the Hearing on the Merits for the Clear Springs/Zorn to Hutto transmission line project. LCRA TSC presented its direct case and rebuttal testimony. Intervenors were given an opportunity to question LCRA TSC witnesses on their direct and rebuttal testimony. Also, Intervenors had an opportunity to present witnesses to support their case. The 10-day hearing concluded Feb. 15. 

The next step: The parties will file legal briefs and reply briefs. Then, the administrative law judges will issue a Proposal for Decision (PFD) which is anticipated in late June 2008. The PFD will identify which route, if any, should be built by LCRA TSC. Once a PFD is issued, LCRA TSC anticipates commissioners with the Public Utility Commission of Texas will make a final decision regarding its application for Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) sometime in early August 2008. 

To review filings for the case: Go to the PUC's document Web site at interchange.puc.state.tx.us and click on the "Login" button (you don't need a user name as all visitors are "guests"). Then type "33978" (the project's PUC docket number) in the "Control Number" field.

Background information
What is the Clear Springs/Zorn to Hutto project?
LCRA TSC is proposing to build a 345-kilovolt double-circuit transmission line. The Clear Springs/Zorn-Hutto Project consists of three new circuits. The first circuit will be installed from the Clear Springs Switching Station, located on Link Road in southern Guadalupe County, to the expanded Gilleland Creek Switching Station, located off Cameron Road in eastern Travis County. The second circuit will be installed from the existing Zorn Switching Station, located on State Highway 123 in northern Guadalupe County, to the expanded Hutto Switching Station, located on County Road 119 in southern Williamson County. The third circuit will be installed from the expanded Gilleland Creek Switching Station to the expanded Hutto Switching Station. The proposed project, in conjunction with another transmission line project being constructed by Oncor Electric Delivery (Oncor) north of the Hutto switching station, will address several regional transmission needs and has been approved by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

Why is the Clear Springs/Zorn-to-Hutto Project needed?
The proposed transmission line project, in conjunction with another transmission line that Oncor Electric Delivery is constructing north of Hutto, is needed to address regional electric system concerns.

Load growth
Bell, Travis and Williamson counties are among the fastest growing in Texas. The proposed project would provide necessary transmission facilities to reliably meet the area's load-growth needs for the foreseeable future.

New power plants
During the last five years, several power plants have been constructed in Central Texas. Specifically, these power plants have been built in Guadalupe, Hays, Bastrop and Travis counties. The power from these plants has created transmission congestion, which results in higher electricity costs for the ratepayers of Texas. The proposed project would alleviate this transmission congestion and thus avoid these higher costs for electricity.

Reliability concerns
Electric system studies show that at expected load growth levels and at present power generation availability, the area could experience reliability issues. Specifically, outages along an existing 345-kilovolt double-circuit corridor between San Antonio and Bell County could cause significant overload conditions on the underlying 138-kilovolt transmission facilities in Central Texas These overload conditions could lead to loss of electric service, equipment damage and other public safety concerns. With the addition of the proposed project and in conjunction with the Oncor Electric Delivery project north of Hutto, these overload conditions would be alleviated.

What are the next steps?
LCRA TSC has filed an application with the PUC for a preferred route to build the approximately 85- to 102-mile transmission line. In addition to identifying a preferred route, LCRA TSC filed 23 alternative routes for consideration by the PUC. All 24 routes were selected based on factors including public input, environmental and land use criteria, aesthetics, engineering, construction and cost. The PUC will make the final decision on whether to approve the building of the line and where it will be built.

See more info on the steps for obtaining approval for transmission projects from the PUC.

What is the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA)?
LCRA is a nonprofit conservation and reclamation district that provides energy, water and community services to Texans. See ABCs of LCRA.

What is the LCRA Transmission Services Corporation (LCRA TSC)?
Legislation passed in 1999 restructured the state's electric industry and allowed LCRA to offer transmission services to other utilities throughout Texas. Provisions of Texas Senate Bill 7 required utilities to separate electric generation and transmission businesses. Learn more.

How you may be affected
LCRA TSC will purchase easement rights along the path of the transmission line to allow for construction, operation, and maintenance of the line. An easement is a legal document that gives a utility the right to use privately owned land for a specific purpose, while the landowner retains ownership of the property. More about easements.

Owners of land directly affected by the line will be contacted and all efforts will be made to minimize disturbances to landowners and their property. After completing any work on the transmission line, the surface of the easement property will be restored. Landowners may continue to use the easement property for activities such as farming and ranching, as long as the activity does not interfere with the line's construction, operation, and maintenance, and does not jeopardize the safe use of the easement area.

What about EMF?
Some landowners have asked questions about electric and magnetic fields, also called EMF. Electric and magnetic fields are found everywhere electricity is used, including hair dryers, computers, televisions and power lines. Some concerns have been raised in the past about potential health effects of EMF. Although there has been extensive scientific research, no direct link has been established between exposure to power lines and adverse health effects. Neither the state government nor the federal government has established any health standards relating to EMF. For more information, see electric and magnetic fields and you.

For more information

If you have additional questions, write or phone:
LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY
Transmission Regulatory Services
Attention: Sara Morgenroth
P.O. Box 220, Austin, Texas 78767-0220
1-800-776-5272, Ext. 4151
Public involvement opportunities
  • September 2005: LCRA TSC representatives sent letters and maps of the proposed project area to elected officials and school district leaders between Clear Springs and Hutto, asking for input on any planned developments or constraints that would be important in the routing of a transmission line.
  • January 2006: LCRA TSC started publishing notices in nine area newspapers about the transmission line, inviting the public to open houses and providing a phone number and Web site for more information. LCRA TSC mailed out invitations to landowners located within 500 feet of any proposed routes, elected officials, and other interested parties inviting them to attend the open house meetings. Approximately 2,290 landowners and 94 public officials were invited to the open houses.
  • Feb. 7, 2006: LCRA TSC hosted an open house on the project in Austin.
  • Feb. 9, 2006: LCRA TSC hosted an open house on the project in Pflugerville.
  • Feb. 16, 2006: LCRA TSC hosted an open house on the project in Seguin.
  • Feb. 27, 2006: LCRA TSC hosted an open house on the project in Lockhart.
  • May and June 14, 2006: LCRA TSC held 36 meetings with individuals who were unable to attend any open houses.
  • July 17, 2006: LCRA staff provided project updates at a Hutto City Council meeting and participated in workshop discussions.
  • Aug. 21, 2006: LCRA TSC provided project updates at a Hutto City Council meeting and participated in workshop discussions.

Meetings with stakeholders: LCRA staff also met on several other occasions with state, city, including City of Hutto, and county officials and other interested groups and elected officials throughout the transmission line routing process. Public involvement contributed both to the evaluation of issues and concerns by LCRA TSC and its consultant for this project, PBS&J, and to the selection of a preferred route for the project.
INTERACTIVE MAPS OF PROPOSED ROUTES

Now you can search by property owner or company name to find out if a property is located in or adjacent to a proposed route segment.
STATIC MAPS

MAPS OF PROPOSED ROUTES
LCRA TSC has filed 24 alternative routes with its CCN application, grouped into two sets: "original primary alternative routes" (Routes 1 through 12) and "revised primary alternative routes" (routes 13 through 24). Because the project area is so large the route maps have been divided into two sections (northern and southern). Follow the steps below to determine whether your property may be affected.

Step 1: Download the maps and find the links (or route segments) that may affect your property.

Step 2: Download the original and revised primary route descriptions to see which routes may affect you.
Step 3: Download the route link descriptions to read a detailed description of each segment.

The files linked above require free Adobe Acrobat Reader software. Help downloading PDF documents.

HELPFUL LINKS