GROVETON — The Trinity County Commissioners Court will send a letter to Entergy expressing the group’s concern about a proposed transmission line expansion project.
At the July 14 meeting, the county approved the letter seeking adjustments to the plan on the grounds of safety, increased costs and loss of tax revenue.
In November 2025, the Public Utilities Commission of Texas approved a route for a power line, one that crosses Lake Livingston and affects eight East Texas counties.
The project’s route takes it through Jasper, Montgomery, Newton, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler and Walker counties.
The letter states that Trinity Couty is extremely concerned about the ramifications of the SETEX Area Reliability Project in our area. The designated route through Trinity County, while relatively small, is very impactful.
“Trinity County has dense timberland, commercial pine plantations, and extensive rural areas. This county is one of the state's most lightening prone areas. Trinity County has experienced multiple aggressive wildfires directly caused by lightning strikes, burning over 1,500 acres in just three of the many incidences. Introducing large metal transmission towers into these conditions greatly increases lightning strike frequency, putting humans and livestock at risk for life threatening incidents,” the letter continues.
“This increased wildfire risk can also affect our residents' home insurance, whether it be in the form of higher premiums or refusing to provide coverage all together, leaving our property owners unprotected.”
The letter also addresses issues regarding the county’s tax base, claiming it poses a significant tax issue for Trinity County.
“The county has a large population of retired individuals in a predominantly rural area, creating a minimal tax base. Some of the most highly valued properties in Trinity County are in the community of Barrett's Landing along Lake Livingston. This community provides a large portion of the tax base in that area. With the planned project using unsightly transmission towers along easements and across Lake Livingston, waterfront properties will be obstructed, causing a tremendous decrease in property value going forward and creating an ongoing loss of tax revenue. The burden would be significant enough to prompt budget cuts and probable layoffs,” the letter states.
The letter goes on to encourage Entergy to consider adjusting the route “to avoid the ecological and financial impact of the project in Trinity County. Understanding that may not be an option, we ask that you consider an underground option for the portion along Lake Livingston to prevent a dire tax revenue loss. We believe with a bit of adjustment, this project can be effective as well as accommodating.”
According to Entergy, the new line will connect the proposed Babel 500 kilovolt switching station to the proposed Running Bear Substation. The proposed Babel station would be constructed at one of three potential locations and connect into the existing Layfield to Hartburg 500 kilovolt transmission line south of Toledo Bend Reservoir in Newton County.
The proposed Running Bear Substation is planned to extend from one of four potential locations that will connect into Entergy Texas Inc.’s existing Lewis Creek facilities along Longstreet Road between Lake Conroe and Interstate Highway 45 or ETI’s existing transmission facilities east of Willis between FM 1097 and County Line Road in Montgomery County.
The project will use predominantly steel single-circuit structures, with typical transmission structures supporting 500 kilovolt lines approximately 100-140 feet above ground, with span links of approximately 800-1,200 feet between structures, all within a right-of-way up to 225 feet wide.
ETI’s western region has grown by approximately 5 percent per year over the past five years, and the Houston Metro area has expanded into ETI’s service territory. Transmission upgrades have improved load serving capabilities over the years, but the area remains constrained as growth continues. ETI cited Winter Storm Uri as an extreme event where the SETEX Area Reliability Project would improve load serving capabilities.
