Howard-Solstice 765-kV Order: What It Approved So Far
The Texas PUC approved the Howard-Solstice 765-kV line on a 368.50-mile route, and motions for rehearing are pending. What the signed order covers, what its dates mean, and what it does not tell an equipment buyer.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas signed its order on the Howard-Solstice 765-kV line on September 18, 2026, and the docket has not gone quiet since. At least nine parties have filed motions for rehearing. An October 21 memorandum says the Commission added the matter to its November 5 open meeting “only to extend time for acting on the motion(s).” As of November 1, the docket shows no ruling on them.
So read this as an approved scope with a live rehearing record. It isn’t an equipment order. Here is what the signed order covers, and where a procurement reader should stop inferring.
What the Howard-Solstice 765-kV order approved
The applicants are AEP Texas and CPS Energy, San Antonio’s municipally owned utility. The Commission voted on September 11 and CPS Energy’s project page confirms the final order followed on September 18. Those are two dates for two events.
The order rejected the route the administrative law judges recommended and approved a modified one. Route 4 mod 1 runs 368.50 miles at an estimated total cost of $2,153,288,231, against 370.95 miles and $2,184,507,328 for route 4 (findings 80 and 80A). The Commission cited the lower cost and length, along with more than 23.6 additional miles paralleling existing transmission right-of-way.
The station scope in the ordering paragraphs
For a buyer, ordering paragraphs 3 and 4 say the most. They describe expansion at both ends:
| Station | Owner | Approved scope |
|---|---|---|
| Solstice | AEP Texas | A 765-kV yard and two 765/345-kV autotransformers |
| Howard | CPS Energy | Two 765/345-kV autotransformers connected into new positions at the Howard 345-kV station, plus a spare single-phase autotransformer |
That’s scope, and it stops there. The order names no vendor and no purchase, and it doesn’t say whether any of this equipment has been ordered.
How to read the 2030 dates
Finding 25 records what the applicants estimate:
- Finalize engineering and design by June 2028
- Acquire right-of-way and land by October 2028
- Procure material and equipment by March 2030
- Complete construction by September 2030
- Energize by October 2030
Two cautions. These are the applicants’ estimates, not Commission deadlines. And “by March 2030” is a finish line for procurement, so it doesn’t tell you when any purchase order goes out.
The binding clock in the order is different. Ordering paragraph 24 limits the authority to seven years from the date of the order unless the facilities are commercially energized first.
Rehearing is the open question
Nine filers moved for rehearing between October 7 and 13, including American Stewards of Liberty, Val Verde County and the Sabinal and Frio Rivers Alliance. The applicants’ October 28 reply answers arguments on need, alternatives, notice and routing, and defends the order.
The November 5 agenda item doesn’t decide any of that, per the memorandum. We aren’t predicting the outcome. A route change would move mileage and could move cost, and the 2028 and 2030 estimates are only as firm as the record under them.
What this doesn’t tell a distribution buyer
Nothing in the order addresses the supply of distribution-class equipment. It doesn’t show that this project competes with a pad-mount or pole-mount order, and it gives no basis for changing a co-op or municipal lead-time assumption. Any link between a 765-kV project and a distribution queue would need its own evidence, and this document isn’t that evidence.
If you sell into or buy for this program, the record tells you where to look next. That’s our suggestion for diligence, not proof that purchases are open:
- The November 5 open meeting and whatever follows it. Watch for a ruling on rehearing. The agenda item alone decides nothing.
- The named owners. AEP Texas and CPS Energy own different ends, and the order draws the ownership line at a structure on link 239.
- Monthly construction progress reports. Ordering paragraph 22 requires the applicants to carry these facilities on those reports before construction starts, reflecting final estimated cost and schedule.
- Permit conditions. Ordering paragraphs 8 through 10 require the applicants to obtain all permits and notify the Commission if they fail to get one. Approval doesn’t show those are done.
For how we read other large transmission approvals, see interregional transmission’s proof week. For why one component can drive a large unit’s schedule, see transformer bushing lead times. The wider picture is in the utility procurement intelligence guide.
Related Reading
- Interregional Transmission Just Had Its Proof Week
- Transformer Bushing Lead Times: The Longest-Lead Component
- ERCOT Batch Zero: Verify the Project, Deposit Terms and Next Gate
The weekly procurement read
The Feeder is our free weekly digest of the procurement signals that matter to utility and distribution equipment buyers. One email a week, no filler.
This article is based on public filings and does not constitute legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did the Texas PUC approve the Howard-Solstice 765-kV line?
Yes. The Public Utility Commission of Texas voted on September 11, 2026 and signed its order on September 18, amending the certificates of AEP Texas and CPS Energy for a 765-kV single-circuit line along route 4 mod 1. Motions for rehearing were filed afterward and, as of November 1, 2026, the docket shows no ruling on them.
How long is the approved Howard-Solstice route?
Finding 80A of the order puts route 4 mod 1 at 368.50 miles, with an estimated total cost of $2,153,288,231. The route recommended by the administrative law judges, route 4, was 370.95 miles.
When do the applicants expect to buy equipment for Howard-Solstice?
Finding 25 records the applicants' estimate that they will procure material and equipment by March 2030 and energize the line by October 2030. Those are applicant estimates. The order does not say when purchase orders will be placed.
What happens at the November 5, 2026 open meeting?
An October 21 memorandum from Commission Advising says the Commission voted to add the motion for rehearing to the November 5 open meeting only to extend time for acting on the motions.
Know what changed before your next quote
Free Member tier. Pick your topics. Get a weekly digest filtered to what you actually buy.