Public Utility Commission of Texas approves CenterPoint Energy project

CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric’s Bailey-Jones Creek Project, a 345-kilovolt (kV) electric transmission line, has received Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) approval.

The electric transmission line connects the company’s Bailey Substation in Wharton County to its Jones Creek Substation in Brazoria County.

“The Bailey-Jones Creek Project will maintain transmission grid reliability, provide for future load growth, and support operational flexibility to perform routine maintenance in the Freeport area,” Tracy Bridge, executive vice president and Electric Division president for CenterPoint Energy, said. “After receiving route approval, CenterPoint Energy is ready to start Bailey-Jones Creek Project construction and anticipates the project will be completed by April 2022.”

Community values, recreational and park areas, historic and aesthetic values, and environmental integrity are among the PUCT’s considerations when deciding whether to approve a proposed transmission line as prescribed by state law and PUCT rules.

Specific routing criteria for new lines, including whether the route utilizes or parallels compatible rights-of-way such as following existing transmission lines, roads, property lines, natural features, and cultural features, are also considered during the transmission line approval process.

The utility provided information about the above factors for each of the proposed alternative routes in its Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) application. The company also worked with a routing consultant to perform an environmental assessment and routing analysis for the proposed line. Public input was gathered at open houses and through the Bailey-Jones Creek Project website.