When two Texas congressmen recently urged EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to allow Texas to assume authority over development of carbon capture wells, it came after a few dozen businesses in the state sent the same kind of letter to EPA Region 6 Administrator Scott Mason.
In a letter submitted on February 18, 2025, 33 leading business organizations from across Texas appealed to US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 Administrator Mr. W. Scott Mason IV to approve the Texas Railroad Commission’s application for Class VI Well Primacy and initiate a public comment period.
The 33 are part of the Houston CCS or Carbon Capture Storage Alliance.
In their letter, business leaders voiced overwhelming confidence in the Texas Railroad Commission’s ability to regulate carbon injection wells, emphasizing that the Commission “has the resources and experience” to properly manage and regulate this evolving sector of the oil and gas industry while ensuring permit decisions are made safely and efficiently.
Primacy allows states to take charge of overseeing and permitting Class VI injection wells, which are used to securely store carbon dioxide deep underground—typically a mile or more beneath the surface and safely below the water table. To receive primacy, state agencies must go through a rigorous approval process, proving their ability to uphold the same federal safety and environmental standards as the EPA.
In the last few years, the EPA has granted primacy to Wyoming, neighboring Louisiana, and most recently, West Virginia; meanwhile, Texas’ application has been processing for two years. This has set Texas back, harming our ability to lead the development of this new energy technology and jeopardizing the significant economic benefits stemming from large-scale CCS development.
With its concentration of industry, academic expertise, and a highly skilled workforce—coupled with a well-developed infrastructure network and optimal geological formations both onshore and offshore—Texas is a premier location for a carbon storage hub. If Texas is not able to move Class VI well permits forward, the state risks losing significant investment and its longstanding role as an energy pioneer and manufacturing leader.
The full letter can be found here.
