State regulators have postponed a decision on Entergy Texas’ hotly contested plans to build a power line north of Houston until next week, saying on Thursday that they needed more time to review the issue.
Like its proposed power plants that were approved Thursday, Entergy says the Southeast Texas Area Reliability Project is badly needed to meet rapidly growing electricity usage in the Houston suburbs and reduce the risk of power outages.
There are two leading contenders for the route of Entergy’s SETEX transmission line: one through Lake Livingston, and another south of the lake.
Explore proposed routes for Entergy Texas’ new power line
Transmission line projects often see pushback from affected landowners who are worried about reduced property values, seizure of their properties or other concerns. In this case, however, a group of Trinity County residents narrowed the debate to an unusual issue: if the power line should be allowed to cross Lake Livingston, a source of drinking water for Houston…