NEWS: Western Texas needs more transmission. And if that doesn’t happen? Expect rolling blackouts, ERCOT’s COO said.

Heads up: Woody Rickerson told the state PUC that these blackouts could arrive within five years, according to demand forecasts. 

But TX officials have a Tx solution: A $33B plan for new high-voltage lines across the state, which would send power from the East to the power-hungry West (where oil & gas industry growth demands plenty of gigawatts). Residents have criticized the proposed lines, fearing damage to their properties and local ecosystems.