Editor's note: This story has been updated from the print version, which will publish Dec. 10.

The debate on whether to bury new power lines along Main Street in West Frisco will soon come to a close.

During the Public Utility Commission of Texas open meeting Feb. 11, the commissioners will discuss a recommendation submitted by two administrative law judges that says the lines should be built overhead.

In the recommendation, the judges argue that building overhead lines would be cheaper and that the Frisco parties have not made a strong enough commitment to contributing to the cost of burying the lines.

The recommendation comes as a blow to many Frisco residents, businesses and city staff who have been pushing to bury the lines. The city and residents have argued that overhead lines would reduce property values and make it more difficult to widen Main Street.

“We are not going to give up the fight until the lines are buried because we know that’s what’s best for our residents, our businesses and the city,” said Shona Huffman, director of governmental affairs for the Frisco Chamber of Commerce.

The lines are expected to alleviate the power distribution demand in the area, which is nearing capacity, according to Brazos Electric’s application to the PUCT to construct new lines in West Frisco.

In preparation for the Feb. 11 PUCT open meeting, those who oppose overhead lines have submitted exceptions to the judges’ recommendation. The opposition consists of individuals from the chamber, the city of Frisco and the Bury the Lines advocacy group.

The city is also working to reach an agreement with Brazos that may involve contributions from all of the interested parties, said Frank Majorie, the attorney for the Bury the Lines group. The city hopes to have an agreement in place soon, said Ben Brezina, assistant to the city manager.

Cost considerations

Brazos’ application includes 20 alternate routes for the project. The buried power lines route follows the same path as the overhead route recommended by the judges.

The cost difference between the underground route and the recommended overhead route is more than $28 million. Buried power lines are more expensive to install because the actual transmission lines are more expensive, and the excavation costs are also higher, said Oscar Martinez, a spokesperson for CoServ, a not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative and one of Brazos Electric’s members.

In Texas, everyone connected to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas’ grid pays for power lines through a portion of their electric bills, Martinez said.

“This means that people in Houston and Austin are paying for the transmission lines in DFW, and vice versa,” Martinez said.

To help offset the cost of the buried power lines, the city of Frisco has offered to donate its right of way on Main Street for the power lines route and suggested coordinating construction for the lines with previously planned road work for Main Street. The city estimates the right of way and coordinated construction is worth nearly $28 million.

Coordinating the road work with Brazos’ construction would alone save about $10 million in construction costs, Brezina said. The city plans to install a water line to go down the center of Main Street, he said.

“Because the city has these planned improvements while working together with Brazos, we still feel that we can have this line buried and have it be a win-win for everybody,” Brezina said.

Brazos estimates that coordinating construction could save money. However, PUCT staff argues the right of way savings is irrelevant because Brazos already has the authority to use the right of way.

Transportation needs

Main Street in West Frisco is past due to be widened, Brezina said. The roadway is supposed to be six lanes wide, he said. The city plans to narrow the median to add more lanes, which would narrow the median to 3 feet in some areas.

The power lines are planned to be built along the median, which means the city would like to install guardrails around the transmission poles just like the transmission poles in the median on Legacy Drive, Brezina said. However, the narrowed median may mean the city does not have room to put in guardrails.

As traffic congestion increases on Main Street, the transmission poles could pose a safety hazard without guardrails, Brezina said.

Brazos explored multiple routes to avoid Main Street. A total of 20—which the PUCT could still consider—were submitted in Brazos’ application to the PUCT.