Planned Transmission Upgrades

Site Assessment

✓ High Activity

7 upgrade(s) within 25 mi search radius

ISO/RTO

ERCOT Published Plan

Transmission Project Information Tracking (TPIT)

Voltage Breakdown

2x 138 kV, 4x 345 kV, 1x 69 kV ⚠ Major

4 upgrades at 345 kV flagged as major

Planning Horizon

All Near-Term

7 Near (2025-2029)

Capacity Impact

Data Unavailable

ERCOT TPIT does not publish project-level MW impact

Summary

Planned Transmission Upgrades (25 mile radius)

Project Name	Voltage	Status	In-Service	Owner	Route	Miles	Tier
Upgrade San Diego - Orange Grove SW	69 kV	Planned	2029	STEC	San Diego → Orange	21.6	Tier 4
West Columbia to Damon and Needville to Big Creek Ckt.89A Upgrades	138 kV	Planned	2027	CNP	West Columbia → Damon	6.6	Tier 4
Rebuild/reconductor Ckt.89A West Columbia to Damon and Ckt.89A Damon to Needvill	138 kV	Planned	2028	CNP	West Columbia → Needville	13.8	Tier 3
Facility Ratings Methodology Phase 2 (FRM2) Upgrades	345 kV ⚠️	Planned	2026	CNP	STP → Hillje	—	Tier 4
Facility Ratings Methodology Phase 2 (FRM2) Upgrades	345 kV ⚠️	Planned	2029	CNP	STP → Hillje	—	Tier 4
Charger Solar Interconnection	345 kV ⚠️	Under Construction	2025	AEP TCC	Angstrom → STP	—	Tier 4
Angstrom to STP: Increase 345 kV Line MOT	345 kV ⚠️	Planned	2025	AEP TCC	Angstrom → STP	—	Tier 4

Analysis

ERCOT TPIT shows 7 planned transmission upgrades within 25 miles of the site, spanning 2x 138 kV, 4x 345 kV, 1x 69 kV. All projects are in the Near (2025-2029) horizon. Four 345 kV upgrades are flagged as major, including FRM2 upgrades at STP-Hillje and the Charger Solar/Angstrom-STP interconnections. Capacity impact data is not available in the ERCOT TPIT dataset.

The site falls within ERCOT’s jurisdiction, which maintains a published Regional Transmission Plan (RTP) and tracks projects through the Transmission Project Information Tracking (TPIT) system. Seven planned upgrades intersect the 25-mile search radius, spanning 69 kV to 345 kV voltage classes. All seven projects are in the near-term planning horizon (2025–2029).

Four of the seven upgrades operate at 345 kV and are flagged as major upgrades per the methodology (345 kV+). These include two Facility Ratings Methodology Phase 2 (FRM2) upgrades on the STP–Hillje 345 kV corridor, the Charger Solar Interconnection (under construction, 2025), and the Angstrom–STP 345 kV line MOT increase. The remaining upgrades include two 138 kV reconductoring/rebuild projects on the West Columbia–Damon–Needville corridor by CenterPoint Energy, and a 69 kV upgrade by STEC on the San Diego–Orange Grove segment.

Capacity impact (MW) data is not published in the ERCOT TPIT dataset. The capacity envelope cannot be computed for these upgrades. Utility-level engineering studies or ERCOT planning cases would be needed to estimate MW impact.

Next Steps

Request ERCOT planning case data to estimate MW capacity impact for each upgrade within the search radius
Engage CenterPoint Energy regarding the West Columbia–Damon 138 kV corridor upgrades and potential interconnection timing synergies
Monitor the Charger Solar Interconnection and Angstrom–STP 345 kV projects for on-schedule completion (2025 in-service targets)
Evaluate whether the FRM2 upgrades on the STP–Hillje 345 kV corridor improve headroom for new large-load interconnection

Sources

Planned Transmission Upgrades (ERCOT TPIT) — Texas transmission line upgrade projects (2024-2032) from ERCOT Transmission Project Information Tracking
ERCOT Transmission Planning Process — ERCOT transmission planning process overview for context on RTP methodology

Capacity impact (MW) data is not available in the ERCOT TPIT dataset — capacity envelope cannot be computed
Parent transmission line matching is approximate (based on substation names rather than line IDs)