On April 1, the Public Utility Commission chose a route for the Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) -- 345 kV transmission lines bringing wind power from West Texas to Austin. Fortunately for my family and neighbors, though we were the preferred route, the commission chose a different route. In the end, we averted a significant, uncompensated, negative impact to our property/community.

“We won,” I said to my wife, and she replied, “Yes ... until the next time.” She’s right. What’s to say this won’t happen again? And the fact remains: Those on the “different” route are still facing that significant negative impact.

How did this happen? How did we find ourselves having to protect our homes and land from the PUC? We received a letter from them almost a year ago stating that the “PUC has pre-approved the need for these transmission lines.” Whose need are they referring to? Certainly not mine nor my neighbor’s nor those still being negatively impacted by this “need.”

Assuming these transmission lines do, in fact, meet someone else’s need, why is their need more important than mine? When does my need become more important than yours? Never. My need to get my drive paved is no more important than your need to get paid for paving it. And when you believe your need to my property is greater than mine, we call that theft. This is obvious to most of us.

But over the last several months, the PUC has decided that someone else’s need for a renewable energy source is more important than my need for private property. The letter is noticeably silent on how they arrived at this conclusion. And my wife and I are noticeably more nervous about our future as private landowners in Texas.
Steve Parke
Kempner