Sharyland Utilities and Brownsville Public Utilities Board Jointly Announce ERCOT Board Endorsement for Cross Valley 345 kV Line Project

DALLAS, Jan. 17, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- Sharyland Utilities, L.P. (Sharyland) and the Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB) are pleased to jointly announce that the Board of Directors for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has endorsed the Cross Valley 345 kV Line Project (Cross Valley) by a unanimous vote. 

"We are extremely pleased that the ERCOT Board has endorsed this critical project," said Hunter Hunt, President of Sharyland Utilities.  "For too long, the transmission needs of the eastern portion of the Rio Grande Valley have not been addressed, and severe load interruptions during storms and extreme weather events are a direct result.  Today, ERCOT's endorsement gives Sharyland and BPUB the opportunity to finally bring relief to the Brownsville region."

"For Brownsville, the Cross Valley project not only brings needed reliability to the region, but also an opportunity to ensure economic growth," said John S. Bruciak, General Manager and CEO of the BPUB.  "With this project, we can finally provide the electric infrastructure necessary to serve normal demand growth and to attract new industrial customers to the Port of Brownsville."

As endorsed by ERCOT, the Cross Valley project will require the construction of a new double circuit 345 kilovolt (kV) line, which will travel approximately 106 miles beginning at an existing substation in north Edinburg, heading south toward south McAllen and Mission, and then heading east to the existing Loma Alta substation located in east Brownsville.  The project will also require the construction of a new 138 kV line, which will run approximately 12 miles between the Palo Alto substation in Brownsville to the La Palma substation near Harlingen.

Sharyland and BPUB have been studying the project for over two years and jointly proposed the Cross Valley project back in May 2011.  Sharyland and BPUB have been working diligently over the past nine months to shepherd this project through the ERCOT review process.  Sharyland and BPUB look forward to working with all stakeholders over the coming months as they prepare an application to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) to amend Sharyland's Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) to approve the project.

Sharyland and BPUB expect the project to be completed and in service by the beginning of 2016, assuming final approval by the PUCT.

About Sharyland Utilities, L.P.

Sharyland is a Texas-based public electric utility that is fully regulated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas. We are committed to providing quality customer service, affordable rates, safe and reliable electric delivery, and increased investment in the electric grid of Texas.  Sharyland is unique in that we serve retail customers throughout Texas in both competitive and non-competitive segments of the state's electricity markets. For our customers, where they live determines how they buy their electricity. Sharyland currently serves approximately 42,000 customers in 29 counties throughout Texas. Sharyland is privately-owned by Hunter L. Hunt and other members of the family of Ray L. Hunt, and is managed by Hunter L. Hunt.  For more information, please visit www.sharyland.com.

About Brownsville Public Utilities Board

BPUB is an agency of the City of Brownsville, Texas, created under the city's Home Rule Charter to manage and control Brownsville's municipally owned electric, water and wastewater systems.  The electric system was established in 1904 to provide street lighting and electric service to the area.  BPUB provides electric service to approximately 46,000 industrial, commercial and residential customers both inside and outside the city's corporate boundaries and to the Port of Brownsville and its industrial tenants.  BPUB's mission is to create value for customers and the community as the provider of choice for utility services.  BPUB has built its reputation on providing quality electric, water, and wastewater services at affordable rates.

SOURCE Sharyland Utilities, L.P.