High-voltage transmission lines like these are being proposed for west Frisco to serve the growing demand. (Courtesy Brazos Electric Cooperative)
Work continues to find alternative locations for a new high-power transmission line and electric substation needed to serve the growing population in west Frisco.
Representatives from the West Frisco Homeowners Coalition, who represent 25 homeowners associations with about 35,000 residents, received an update during Thursday’s meeting of the CoServ Electric board of directors in Corinth.
The application process to the Public Utility Commission is on hold while other alternatives are being explored. But the proposed routes first made public in August to add transmission lines along either Stonebrook Parkway or Main Street west of Legacy Drive are still possible. They have not been removed from consideration, officials said. Another option being explored would route the lines across U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land and then up FM423.
“Our planning efforts have identified a very critical need for this area,” said Curtis Trivitt, the senior vice president of energy services at CoServ. The company forecasts the substation load in that area to double from 337 megawatts of power in 2012 to more than 668 megawatts of power by 2023.
He gave a presentation on the need for increased electric capacity to serve the growing area. That presentation, which is available online here, also outlines the roles of the entities involved and the process they must follow. While CoServ distributes the power to its customers, the planning for the transmission lines and substations are handled by Brazos Electric Cooperative.
Kendall Meade, chairman of the coalition, told the CoServ board that residents are outraged and extremely concerned about the current proposals and the effects the lines would have on property values, people’s health and the neighborhood’s attractiveness. “Our residents are energized, determined and organized, and we will remain engaged and active throughout the process to ensure our concerns are heard and are given the attention they deserve,” she said.
The coalition is also in contact with the city of Frisco and state legislators, who are also working to come up with other options.
The Public Utility Commission has already opened a case file on the project because of the high interest. It has received more than 2,400 letters from residents so far.
Trivitt said that no matter which route is proposed, someone is going to be unhappy. In the residents’ favor, however, is the PUC’s policy to consider routes that affect the fewest number of people.
CoServ board member Jerry Cobb, whose district includes west Frisco, thanked the residents for their efforts and encouraged them to stay involved. “There is nothing more powerful that grassroots activism,” he said. “You are a collective voice that is much more powerful than what we can do.”
Resources: West Frisco Homeowners Coalition, the city of Frisco, CoServ Electric and Brazos Electric Power Cooperative.