AUSTIN, Texas—Texas Oil & Gas Association President Todd Staples released the following statement regarding the Railroad Commission of Texas’ (RRC) approval of the permitting required to move forward on the proposed Rose Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Project in Jefferson County:

“Texas leads because Texas builds. For generations, the Lone Star State has shown that economic growth, technological innovation, and responsible industrial development can advance together,” said TXOGA President Todd Staples. “The Railroad Commission of Texas took an important step toward keeping Texas communities at the forefront of an emerging industry with significant economic potential. CCS projects represent another opportunity to build on our legacy of attracting investment, creating jobs, developing opportunities for landowners, strengthening communities, and keeping Texas as the place the world looks to for innovation and energy leadership.”

BACKGROUND:

The approval follows the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision to grant Texas primacy over Class VI carbon storage wells, which is a direct result of the administration’s push to cut federal red tape and return permitting authority to the state level.

This approval marks the first Class VI well permit issued by the RRC since receiving delegation by the EPA. In 2025, the EPA under the Trump administration, had previously approved a Class VI well permit for the Brown Pelican Project in Ector County.

CCS captures carbon dioxide from industrial operations and permanently stores it in deep geologic formations certified as safe for that purpose. Carbon dioxide also is used for enhanced oil recovery projects, along with many other beneficial uses.

Texas has the geology, pipeline and industrial infrastructure, and skilled workforce needed to deploy the technology at scale, a combination few places in the world can match.