Jan. 14—AUSTIN — This week the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is accepting final comments on pending rulemaking (Rule Project Number 2024-027-113-AI) to establish new methane requirements for oil and natural gas operations in Texas.
This state rule implementation is required by federal law under the Biden administration and imposes undue burdens on U.S. oil and gas operators, especially small producers who lack the resources of multinational corporations. These rules are part of a larger agenda that threatens not only the state’s energy independence but also the livelihood of numerous Texans who rely on this industry, a Railroad Commission of Texas news release said.
As a state leader overseeing the oil and gas industry, Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian sent a letter to the TCEQ commissioners with concerns and a request to halt implementation of the Biden rule.
“The Biden administration has taken over 250 actions to end oil and gas production, and this new methane rule is one of the many aimed at stifling large producing states like Texas,” said Commissioner Wayne Christian. “The real victim of President Biden’s methane rule won’t be ‘Big Oil’ — which is why many of them haven’t opposed this rule — it will be the small and independent producers. EPA’s stringent methane regulations impose significant compliance costs and operational burdens that many smaller producers will find insurmountable, while doing little to reduce emissions. Simply put: this rule will shut down tens of thousands of Texas wells, folks.”
“Elections have consequences, and the American people decided that the Biden administration’s energy and environmental agenda aren’t in their best interest,” Commissioner Christian continued. “President-elect Donald Trump once rescinded this Obama-era rule and Biden revived it. The fate of these punitive rules on producers is far from over; and as such, I would advise caution and patience in any state administration of this federal overreach. Relief from Washington bureaucrats in the DC swamp is on the way; let’s wait for the cavalry to arrive before surrendering.”
You can read the letter here.