Oncor moving quickly to expand West Texas power supplies

Oncor, the largest energy delivery company in Texas, is rapidly expanding its power infrastructure across West Texas to meet surging electricity demands. Jared Gurley, senior manager of transmission planning at Oncor, highlighted at the Permian Basin Environmental Regulatory Seminar that demand expectations in the region jumped from 5 gigawatts in 2019 to an anticipated 26 gigawatts by 2028. This significant increase is attributed to the electrification of Permian Basin energy operations, as well as the growing presence of data centers and bitcoin miners. As part of the Permian Basin Reliability Plan, Oncor has secured approval to develop Texas's first 765-kV transmission lines, designed to transport larger volumes of electricity more efficiently over long distances. The ambitious expansion also includes the construction of eight new substations and 27 765-kV transformer sites. Oncor is actively pursuing Certificates of Convenience and Necessity (CCNs), with six already approved, seven filed, and five currently in the drafting stage, to expedite the acquisition of rights of way and commence construction.