To support its expanding electric utility law practice, the Austin, Texas, firm of Casey, Gentz & Magness, LLP launched a web site to make information available to landowners who may be affected by proposed electric transmission lines. The web site has received approval from the State Bar of Texas and is available at www.TexasPowerLines.com.
Brad Bayliff is the firm’s partner who works on high-power electric transmission line issues before the Public Utility Commission of Texas (“PUC”). “In the next several months, the PUC will review several applications for transmission lines involving competitive renewable energy zones (“CREZ”). The CREZ zones are areas in West Texas and the Panhandle where wind generation facilities are being installed,” said Bayliff. Although the CREZ projects will approximately triple Texas’ wind generation capacity, the electricity generated by those projects must be delivered to end-use customers in the more populated areas of Texas. The PUC already has determined that the transmission lines are needed, its primary decisions will focus on the routes on which the new transmission lines will be built.
Utility companies file applications that are several hundred pages requesting approval of proposed transmission lines. Bayliff noted, “Landowners who may be affected by a transmission line receive a standard form notice telling them that they can comment or intervene in the docket, but there are few online resources available for those landowners to understand the process and how the transmission line may affect them. We developed the web site in an effort to assist those landowners as they consider whether they want to intervene in a docket at the PUC.”
About Brad Bayliff: Mr. Bayliff is the firm’s partner who represents clients in transmission line cases before the Public Utility Commission of Texas. He has represented clients ranging from individual landowners to developers. Bayliff has extensive experience advising clients regarding regulatory, arbitration, and contractual matters.
About the firm: Casey, Gentz & Magness, LLP is an AV-rated firm by Martindalle-
Contact:
Brad Bayliff
(512) 480-9900
bbayliff@texaspowerlines.com
