SB 1665
Schwertner Bill Pauses 765-Kilovolt Permian Power Line For A Study
Died in committee
Verdict: Smells
Why it's charged
Study, task force, commission, report
Approval of the line waits on a commission study and an outside review. The caption openly says this is a study bill, so the pattern fires at low weight.
Study, task force, commission, reportInitial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade
Caption
relating to a study by the Public Utility Commission of Texas on the feasibility of constructing certain extra high voltage transmission lines.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
No approval until the study is done and sent to an outside reviewer. Expires in 2029.
The bill bars the Public Utility Commission from approving a 765-kilovolt power line for the Permian Basin Reliability Plan until it studies how such lines perform, what they will cost ratepayers (especially households), what drives cost overruns, and what supply chain and workforce limits could slow the build. It touches the commission, the ERCOT grid operator's transmission plan, and the ratepayers who would pay for the line. On the ground, approval of that specific line is paused until the study is done and sent to an outside reviewer who has not done similar work for ERCOT or a market participant since 2020, and the rule expires September 1, 2029.
Labels
Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Feb 27, 2025 and referred to the Senate Business & Commerce committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-SB1665 · 2025-02-27
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to a study by the Public Utility Commission of Texas on the feasibility of constructing certain extra high voltage transmission lines.
WHAT IT DOES
No approval until the study is done and sent to an outside reviewer. Expires in 2029.
The bill bars the Public Utility Commission from approving a 765-kilovolt power line for the Permian Basin Reliability Plan until it studies how such lines perform, what they will cost ratepayers (especially households), what drives cost overruns, and what supply chain and workforce limits could slow the build. It touches the commission, the ERCOT grid operator's transmission plan, and the ratepayers who would pay for the line. On the ground, approval of that specific line is paused until the study is done and sent to an outside reviewer who has not done similar work for ERCOT or a market participant since 2020, and the rule expires September 1, 2029.
CHARGES
[x] STUDY, TASK FORCE, COMMISSION, REPORTanalysis confidence 50%
Approval of the line waits on a commission study and an outside review. The caption openly says this is a study bill, so the pattern fires at low weight.
TOTAL
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
HISTORY
- Received by the Secretary of the Senate
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Business & Commerce
FILED UNDER
DATA CENTERS, WATER AND THE GRID
The bill holds up a major ERCOT transmission line until the state studies its cost to ratepayers and its risk of cost overruns.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
Donors report through Texans for Charles Schwertner.
Not tied to this bill.
Sources
The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.
Derived itemized flow · Jul 1, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
MoneyMissing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
Votes
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
Fiscal
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
How this was graded
Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.
Sources
Texas Senate · Filed Feb 27, 2025
03/11/2025 S Referred to Business & Commerce
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced
Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
Senate committee · Business & Commerce · Final status: Died in committee
Subjects
Utilities--Electric
PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION
Text
The text as introduced · 335 words
89R14040 CXP-D By: Schwertner S.B. No. 1665 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to a study by the Public Utility Commission of Texas on the feasibility of constructing certain extra high voltage transmission lines. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is amended by adding Section 39.1671 to read as follows: Sec. 39.1671. STUDY OF CONSTRUCTION OF 765-KILOVOLT TRANSMISSION LINE. (a) The commission may not approve the construction of a 765-kilovolt transmission line for the execution of the Permian Basin Reliability Plan (Project 55718) as recommended in the Texas 765-kilovolt Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan submitted by the independent organization certified under Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power region unless the commission first conducts a study to consider: (1) the performance of extra high voltage transmission lines under a variety of dispatch scenarios, including different times of day, times of year, and weather conditions; (2) estimated costs to ratepayers, with a particular emphasis on the estimated costs to residential customers; (3) factors that may contribute to cost overruns and potential mitigation of cost overruns; and (4) supply chain and workforce limitations that may delay project buildout or contribute to cost overruns. (b) Subject to Subsection (c), the commission shall submit the results of the study conducted under Subsection (a) to an independent third party for review. (c) The commission may not submit the results of the study to a third party that conducted a similar study of extra high voltage transmission lines on behalf of the independent organization certified under Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power region or another market participant after January 1, 2020. (d) This section expires September 1, 2029. SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2025.