Adrian Rodriguez, the new president of AEP Texas, testified before the Texas Senate Committee on Business & Commerce at the State Capitol in Austin in late July, 2026.

Addressing state lawmakers, Rodriguez emphasized that rapid economic development across AEP Texas's 97,000-square-mile service territory in South and West Texas is pushing existing transmission infrastructure to capacity.

"It's not just the Permian Basin that is experiencing growth," Rodriguez testified before the Senate committee. "In our own service territory for AEP Texas... we're experiencing extraordinary growth. We have coastal refineries that are expanding, in the Rio Grande Valley we have liquefied natural gas terminals that are in progress, there's significant growth in and around Laredo... Altogether, those projects... traditional Texas business, is what is driving the need for these transmission lines."

Rodriguez highlighted major infrastructure undertakings currently underway, including the Howard to Solstice Transmission Line project developed in partnership with San Antonio-based CPS Energy, and discussed industry efforts to deploy high-capacity 765 kV transmission lines.

"Our sister companies have worked with 765 kV transmission lines since 1969, and there's already thousands of miles of it in other states," Rodriguez testified. "Primary because of the fact that we can move so much power on it and impacting fewer landowners than we would have otherwise if we had tried to transmit the same amount of power on equivalent 345 kV transmission lines."

Rodriguez stressed that delays in regulatory approval and Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) applications risk exacerbating supply chain bottlenecks for critical electrical components.

"Transmission is not built for its own sake... We can't have generation without transmission," Rodriguez stated, reassuring lawmakers and landowners that utility companies are engaging communities early through open houses well ahead of formal CCN filings. "Our goal is to make sure that we have the necessary infrastructure available for our customers."

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HARLINGEN, Texas — As the Rio Grande Valley continues its rapid economic expansion, regional leaders are gathering this week to tackle two of the most critical factors underpinning future growth: infrastructure readiness and human capital development.

The Institute for Leadership in Capital Projects (I-LinCP) RGV Chapter, in partnership with the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation (EDC), will host "Powering Texas and Regional Growth: Infrastructure + Workforce Exchange" on Thursday, Aug. 13, at the Harlingen Convention Center from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Setting the stage for the event, Carol Warkoczewski, founder of I-LinCP, highlighted the critical timing of the gathering.

"As the South Texas area continues to experience unprecedented growth, the need for strategic infrastructure investment and a skilled workforce has never been greater," Warkoczewski said. "This collaborative event will bring together industry leaders, public sector representatives, educators, and economic development professionals to explore the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of this region."

However, prospective attendees are urged to act immediately: seats are filling up rapidly, with organizers confirming that only a handful of spots remain available.

"We initially were thinking of having 70 attendees, but we had to open it up to 100," said Jose Delgado, I-LinCP co-founder and McAllen-based engineer. "Just a few minutes ago, we had a meeting, and there were only 12 spaces, maybe 15 spaces left. Time is running out."

Editor's Note: Here is an interview with Jose Delgado and Orlando Campos, CEO of Harlingen Economic Development Corporation. To read the full story go to riograndeguardian.com.

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MISSION, Texas - Veteran trial attorney Ricardo “Rick” Salinas officially entered the race for mayor of Mission, Texas, filing his candidacy paperwork and outlining an ambitious campaign platform focused on City Hall transparency, urgent infrastructure repairs, and fiscal accountability ahead of the November election.

Salinas, who has practiced law for 33 years, framed his run not as a career move, but as an “affair of the heart” aimed at addressing core municipal issues that he contends current leadership has neglected.

Salinas gave an interview to the Rio Grande Guardian just before filing his paperwork to run for mayor of Mission. Later that evening he held a Meet & Greet with supporters. The interview started with his thoughts on former foe Ester Salinas (no relation), a community activist from Mission who use to have serious disagreements with Rick Salinas' father, Beto Salinas, when he was mayor of Mission.

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