In the last two years, I have had the privilege of representing multiple landowners before the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) in several cases to determine the location of new transmission lines. Two cases are currently pending.

PBRP and New Transmission
PUC and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) have identified the need for more transmission infrastructure because of increased demand for electric service, especially in the Texas Permian Basin. After ERCOT prepared and PUC approved the Permian Basin Reliability Plan (PBRP), PUC chose the import paths using 765-kV transmission; these import paths will require an estimated 1,255 miles of new right-of-way.

Data Centers and CMOs Lead State-Wide Demand Growth
While ERCOT projects the largest increases in the Permian Basin, the entire ERCOT system will see increased demand for electricity. ERCOT’s most recent load forecast is pasted below. Data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations (CMOs) are the largest contributors to the estimated increase. (“PV” is the demand reduction from photovoltaic (solar) capacity.)

https://www.ercot.com/gridinfo/load/forecast

Data centers and CMOs have key differences. Data centers generate income through fees and other services. CMOs generate some income from validating blockchain transactions but generally have the goal of generating more cryptocurrency.

Estimates and Policies May Change
Technological, social, legislative, and regulatory changes may affect ongoing ERCOT estimates. Some expected large-scale facilities may choose to build their own electric generating facilities and not connect them to the grid. New legislation or regulations, often at the behest of concerned neighbors and ratepayers, may discourage developers from continuing with some projects. If the projected values of cryptocurrency decrease, some CMOs may be cancelled.

Landowners and others who may be affected by new transmission lines should monitor the potential changes. The policies of ERCOT and PUC in the coming months may be very different from what the current estimates suggest.

To see the PBRP https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/Documents/55718_17_1414013.PDF