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Released October 08, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Entergy Corporation (New Orleans, Louisiana) made a big step toward realizing one of its most ambitious transmission and distribution (T&D) projects last week, when the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) approved the Southeast Texas Area Reliability Project (SETEX). Additionally, SETEX joined several other developments in receiving grants from a special program from the Texas Energy Fund that supports projects outside the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) service area. Industrial Info is tracking progress on SETEX and similar projects.
The SETEX project will include a 500-kilovolt (kV) line from Newton County to Montgomery County. The roughly 150-mile overhead, single-circuit line will run westward through Jasper, Tyler, Polk, Trinity, San Jacinto and Walker counties, and connect the Babel Switching Station in South Toledo Bend, Newton County, to the Running Bear Substation in Willis, Montgomery County. Both substations are slated to be built within the same schedule as the transmission line.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can read detailed reports on the overhead line, Babel Switching Station and Running Bear Substation.
"While ERCOT serves most Texans, Entergy Texas operates within MISO, a regional transmission organization that oversees energy planning across 15 U.S. states and Manitoba, Canada," Entergy said in a press release. "SETEX was identified through MISO's long-range planning process as critical to ensuring compliance with NERC baseline reliability standards and the provision of reliable and cost-effective service as demand continues to grow."
The PUCT's approval means Entergy has seen nearly $4 billion of its proposed investments approved by Texas regulators since the beginning of September. Last month, the PUCT gave Entergy the go-ahead to construct two natural gas-fired power plants to help meet growing power demand in southeastern Texas, albeit with some limits on construction costs. For more information, see September 16, 2025, article - Texas PUC Greenlights 1,200 MW of Gas-Fired Entergy Projects.
'Outside ERCOT' Program Boosts Four Providers
Entergy also was one of four power providers with projects outside the ERCOT area to receive funds from the PUCT's Outside ERCOT Grant Program, which is part of the Texas Energy Fund. Entergy, El Paso Electric Company, Sam Houston Electric Cooperative and East Texas Electric Cooperative received a total of more than $381 million in grants, distributed across six projects.
Just shy of $200 million of the total will go toward Entergy's SETEX project, specifically to address "hardening" projects, which fortify the power grid against extreme weather and similar threats, as well as pole-replacement and flood-fortification projects. The PUCT did not specify which projects from the other three providers received funds, but each had submitted applications for various projects earlier in the year.
El Paso Electric already received $17.7 million in funds from the Outside ERCOT program in August for its Continuous Online Monitoring Project, which provides real-time monitoring and analytics to improve efficiency. El Paso Electric also had submitted grant applications for reliability and restoration projects for units 1 and 2 at its Newman Power Station in El Paso, Texas, which sits just outside the ERCOT area. Subscribers can learn more about Newman in a detailed plant profile.
Sam Houston Electric received the full $87 million-plus in grants it requested in a July application for its proposed Operation Steel Anchor project, which aims "to bolster the resiliency and reliability of its electric distribution system in the most hurricane-prone regions of its East Texas service territory by replacing wooden utility poles with high-strength, corrosion resistant steel or ductile iron poles," according to the July filing. Industrial Info is tracking activity at Sam Houston Electric's Fred Substation in Spurger and Ford Creek Substation in Woodville, both in areas of eastern Texas not covered by ERCOT; subscribers can read detailed profiles of the Fred and Ford Creek substations.
East Texas Electric applied in July for more than $190 million in funds from Outside ERCOT in July, of which more than $51.45 million were granted. Industrial Info is tracking activity at four power-generation plants and three substations in eastern Texas and Arkansas owned and operated by East Texas Electric; subscribers can click here for a list of detailed profiles.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Project and Plant databases can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
The SETEX project will include a 500-kilovolt (kV) line from Newton County to Montgomery County. The roughly 150-mile overhead, single-circuit line will run westward through Jasper, Tyler, Polk, Trinity, San Jacinto and Walker counties, and connect the Babel Switching Station in South Toledo Bend, Newton County, to the Running Bear Substation in Willis, Montgomery County. Both substations are slated to be built within the same schedule as the transmission line.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can read detailed reports on the overhead line, Babel Switching Station and Running Bear Substation.
"While ERCOT serves most Texans, Entergy Texas operates within MISO, a regional transmission organization that oversees energy planning across 15 U.S. states and Manitoba, Canada," Entergy said in a press release. "SETEX was identified through MISO's long-range planning process as critical to ensuring compliance with NERC baseline reliability standards and the provision of reliable and cost-effective service as demand continues to grow."
The PUCT's approval means Entergy has seen nearly $4 billion of its proposed investments approved by Texas regulators since the beginning of September. Last month, the PUCT gave Entergy the go-ahead to construct two natural gas-fired power plants to help meet growing power demand in southeastern Texas, albeit with some limits on construction costs. For more information, see September 16, 2025, article - Texas PUC Greenlights 1,200 MW of Gas-Fired Entergy Projects.
'Outside ERCOT' Program Boosts Four Providers
Entergy also was one of four power providers with projects outside the ERCOT area to receive funds from the PUCT's Outside ERCOT Grant Program, which is part of the Texas Energy Fund. Entergy, El Paso Electric Company, Sam Houston Electric Cooperative and East Texas Electric Cooperative received a total of more than $381 million in grants, distributed across six projects.
Just shy of $200 million of the total will go toward Entergy's SETEX project, specifically to address "hardening" projects, which fortify the power grid against extreme weather and similar threats, as well as pole-replacement and flood-fortification projects. The PUCT did not specify which projects from the other three providers received funds, but each had submitted applications for various projects earlier in the year.
El Paso Electric already received $17.7 million in funds from the Outside ERCOT program in August for its Continuous Online Monitoring Project, which provides real-time monitoring and analytics to improve efficiency. El Paso Electric also had submitted grant applications for reliability and restoration projects for units 1 and 2 at its Newman Power Station in El Paso, Texas, which sits just outside the ERCOT area. Subscribers can learn more about Newman in a detailed plant profile.
Sam Houston Electric received the full $87 million-plus in grants it requested in a July application for its proposed Operation Steel Anchor project, which aims "to bolster the resiliency and reliability of its electric distribution system in the most hurricane-prone regions of its East Texas service territory by replacing wooden utility poles with high-strength, corrosion resistant steel or ductile iron poles," according to the July filing. Industrial Info is tracking activity at Sam Houston Electric's Fred Substation in Spurger and Ford Creek Substation in Woodville, both in areas of eastern Texas not covered by ERCOT; subscribers can read detailed profiles of the Fred and Ford Creek substations.
East Texas Electric applied in July for more than $190 million in funds from Outside ERCOT in July, of which more than $51.45 million were granted. Industrial Info is tracking activity at four power-generation plants and three substations in eastern Texas and Arkansas owned and operated by East Texas Electric; subscribers can click here for a list of detailed profiles.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Project and Plant databases can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
