Two Texas congressmen want a faster decision from Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin in giving the Texas Railroad Commission the authority over carbon capture wells in the state.
Reps. Dan Crenshaw and August Pfluger, in a letter to Zeldin, urged him to expedite the Railroad Commission’s application for primary enforcement responsibility of Class VI underground injection control wells. The wells are considered to be integral in the advancement of carbon capture technology across Texas.
Currently, the EPA is facing a backlog of more than 160 Class VI well applications, with only eight final permit decisions issued and an average permitting time of three to six years. By granting the RRC authority to oversee Class VI well permitting, project developers would no longer have to rely solely on the EPA’s slow approval process. Instead, they could apply directly to the RRC, an agency with decades of expertise in managing Texas’ diverse and unique geology.
“Expediting the review of the RRC’s application is a win-win,” said Congressman Crenshaw. “Carbon capture is one of the most promising tools we have to reduce emissions and secure our nation’s energy future. If we hand the reins to the Texas Railroad Commission, an agency with the know-how and local expertise, we can cut the permitting backlog dramatically. That means fewer delays, more investment, and more jobs for Texans—and it means we get serious about reducing emissions.”
Congressman Pfluger added, “No one knows how to produce energy better or more efficiently than Texas. I look forward to Administrator Zeldin’s EPA putting the power back in the hands of state regulators who are most knowledgeable about their own geology, like the Railroad Commission of Texas.”
The letter details how the RRC’s application meets all statutory requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and underscores the RRC’s robust regulatory frameworks for subsurface injection activities. It further highlights how timely approval of the application will establish a precedent for other states looking to accelerate their own carbon capture initiatives.