Wilks Ranch Land Moved Into Eastland Power LLC as Earthwork Begins: What We Know

By Jett Whittington, The Alliance Gazette

The Alliance Gazette has followed developments in the Flatwood area along Highway 2563 since spring, when discussions arose in the community over the Dinosaur-Longshore 765-kV transmission line and the possibility of a data center. Our earlier reporting focused on the transmission line and the position Wilks Ranch Texas took during the Public Utility Commission hearings (Docket No. 59315).

To recap: Wilks Ranch opposed a route that would cut across the family estate south of Cisco. According to the testimony of Tristan King, vice president of engineering for Wilks Brothers, the Wilks entity welcomed a route that instead followed Highway 2563. King testified that the Wilks had business interests along that corridor that would benefit from the transmission line. Those business interests were kept confidential during the hearing.

The PUC has since ruled. Eastland County is not part of the approved route. The line runs along the southern boundary of the county, coming closest to the communities of Rising Star, Desdemona, and Gorman.

Land and Corporate Records

As the ruling came in, the Gazette reviewed the public records tied to Wilks Ranch and found that two new LLCs had been formed using an address associated with other Wilks entities: Eastland Power LLC, formed in November 2025, and Eastland Power Data LLC, formed in January 2026. Both were created months before the PUC issued its ruling.

Two April 8, 2026 special warranty deeds, recorded April 14, transferred approximately 3,529.18 acres of Wilks Ranch land off Highway 2563 from Wilks Ranch Texas Ltd. to Eastland Power LLC. One deed covered 2,629.93 acres and the other covered 899.25 acres. The warranty deeds were signed by Farris Wilks.

The most recent record the Gazette obtained is a correction recorded October 5, 2026, addressing the legal description in the 2,629.93-acre deed. It states that it does not change the tract’s total acreage or exterior boundaries. That correction was signed by Tristan King, the same engineer who testified in the PUC case, and it lists him as Chief Development Officer of Eastland Power LLC. It is the first public document the Gazette has reviewed identifying King as an officer of Eastland Power LLC.

As of publication, the Gazette has found no permits, agreements, or notice of intent beyond these records.

The Letter to Eastland Power

In September, Jett Whittington wrote and mailed a letter to the address associated with Eastland Power LLC. The letter asked the operators of the LLC to answer questions about the project, specifically whether it is linked to data center plans and what Eastland Power intends to do moving forward. The full letter is available in our public records link below.

Eastland Power LLC did not respond by letter or email as of publication.

County Response

As rumors spread that Eastland Power had reached an agreement with the county, the Gazette sought an official response. Whittington met with County Judge David Hullum to ask about the possibility of a data center project.

Judge Hullum answered our questions and explained, professionally, the areas he would not discuss. After the interview, Whittington wrote back by email to confirm the public details. That exchange is included in our public records link.

Disclosure: Confidential details were not discussed in our interview. The email exchange is included as verification of the details Hullum publicly acknowledged, since no recording was made. The Gazette strives to ensure statements from individuals are accurately represented.

Judge Hullum confirmed that a group reached out to him earlier in the year for an informal discussion, and that nothing was agreed to at the time. He did not identify the group or name any company, and he did not connect the discussion to Eastland Power or any other entity. As of publication, he said, the group has offered no assurances to the county and proposed no formal agreement.

Hullum said the county’s authority in such matters is limited, residing mainly in tax abatement agreements. He noted that counties elsewhere in the state that have tried to bar data center development have faced lawsuits from both the state and project developers, and he said he does not intend to pull Eastland County into a costly lawsuit.

Hullum said his understanding is that development would take place around the Flatwood area off Highway 2563. He added that any road work along that corridor would be handled by the state and the company, stating, “County resources would not be utilized.”

Separately, aerial imagery and area residents indicate that road or earthwork has begun on the property itself.