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ERCOT Warns West Texas Could Face Rolling Blackouts Without Massive Transmission Build‑out

Skyrocketing demand from data centers plus Permian electrification is straining the grid, prompting a contested $33 billion proposal to add thousands of miles of 765‑kilovolt lines.

Texas lawmakers are questioning a $33 billion transmission line plan that would boost power to the Permian Basin, raising concerns about costs, land and impact on landowners.
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Overview

  • Woody Rickerson, ERCOT’s chief operating officer, warned Friday that every demand scenario shows the current transmission network could be overloaded and that West Texas could face rolling blackouts within five years without more lines.
  • ERCOT’s 2024 Permian Basin study projects peak demand in the Permian could rise from about 8.3 gigawatts in 2025 to nearly 23.7 gigawatts by 2030, driving the need for much higher‑capacity transmission.
  • The Permian Basin Reliability Plan would add roughly 3,400 miles of 765 kV lines at an estimated cost of $33 billion, and the PUC is set to vote soon on about 1,200 miles of those routes.
  • Governor Greg Abbott has ordered audits and paused approvals for Batch Zero data center interconnections, which include roughly 200 gigawatts of requests and which ERCOT estimates could yield about 65 GW of load by 2032.
  • Ranchers and landowners have packed hearings to protest short protest windows and route impacts, and state lawmakers have urged the PUC to pause or deny certificates and change the approval process, leaving timelines and outcomes uncertain.