After the Public Utility Commission of Texas voted in favor of a Lower Colorado River Authority transmission line route from Leander to Round Rock in May, the cities of Leander and Cedar Park took action to protest the decision.

Background
Commission members approved transmission line route LHO-1 in May, which runs along Hero Way and Ronald Reagan Boulevard before meeting RM 1431. This decision differed from an administrative law judge’s recommendation of route COL-1, which goes along Hero Way and CR 175 before meeting RM 1431.

The cities of Cedar Park and Leander also favored the COL-1 route. Cedar Park spokesperson Jennie Huerta said the route would cost less and directly impact fewer property owners than LHO-1.

“Leander City Council was faced with a very hard decision of where to locate power lines,” Council Member Ron Abruzzese said. “[The council] used objective criteria to determine that COL-1 would negatively impact the fewest number of people.”

In May 2016, landowners along CR 175 organized to collectively oppose COL-1, said Brad Bayliff, the lawyer hired to represent the group’s interests.

Motions for rehearing
After the commission’s route selection in May, the cities of Leander and Cedar Park—as well as Burleson Ranch and Lagmanson, two landowners working as one legal group to oppose LHO-1—submitted motions for a rehearing in July, stating the commission wrongly selected the LHO-1 route, according to Texas utility commission documents.

Additionally, the LCRA filed a motion for clarification June 29, according to commission documents, which requested the state utility commission allow minor deviations to the approved route, as long as all affected landowners consent to the deviation and the changes do not result in a major increase of cost and time required for the project.

The state utility commission issued an order July 28 that granted the LCRA’s request and denied the cities’ and Burleson Ranch and Lagmanson’s motions for rehearing.

Looking forward
Leander Assistant City Manager Tom Yantis said the city would not take any further steps to switch the route.

With the new commission-approved language allowing for minor deviations in the line’s route, Leander will work with the LCRA to determine alternative locations for substations, he said.

The city of Cedar Park, however, filed a motion for rehearing Aug. 22, stating the July 28 order made an error in dismissing the administrative law judge’s recommendation for the COL-1 transmission line route, according to PUCT documents. Burleson Ranch and Lagmanson also submitted a motion for rehearing.

If the requests are denied again, the next method of appeal would be to take the issue to district court, state public utilities spokesperson Terry Hadley said.