On January 23, 2014, the Brady Area Improvements project proposal was submitted to the ERCOT Regional Planning Group (“RPG”). This proposal was submitted as part of an ongoing ERCOT planning effort initiated in 2012 to address recognized load growth in the Brady, Texas area and to address system redundancy challenges that were realized following a severe weather event in August 2013. After receiving multiple comments to the proposal and meeting with City of Brady officials, a revised proposal was submitted to ERCOT in July 2014 that included a transmission line from ETT's Yellowjacket station to a new greenfield station (Heartland) in the south Brady area that would be cut into the existing AEP Texas Mason to North Brady 69kV transmission line. On November 17, 2014, the ERCOT Board of Directors endorsed this new transmission project in Menard and McCulloch counties of Texas. Both ETT and AEP Texas were identified as designated transmission providers for the project.
On August 26, 2016, ETT and AEP Texas jointly filed a petition to amend their respective Certificates of Convenience and Necessity (“CCNs”) with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (“PUCT”) for the proposed transmission line. On August 31, 2017, the PUCT approved this application. The new 138 kV line, operated at 69 kV, connects ETT’s Yellowjacket substation near Menard, Texas to AEP Texas’ new Heartland substation near the city of Brady. The approximate length of the line is 16.8 miles; ETT owns 8.4 miles and AEP Texas owns the other 8.4 miles. On June 17, 2020, this project was placed in-service.
The Yellowjacket to Heartland 138kV transmission line project will provide the following benefits to the Brady, Texas area:
