AUSTIN – The Texas Oil & Gas Association (TXOGA), alongside several major allied trades sent a joint letter today to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin asking for the agency’s support for carbon capture and storage (CCS) in Texas.
In addition to TXOGA, the letter’s signatories include allied trades representing some of the largest corporations and employers within the state, including the Texas Association of Business, Greater Houston Partnership, Texas Association of Manufacturers, Texas Economic Development Council, Texas Chemistry Council, and Economic Alliance Houston Port Region.
The letter’s signatories asked EPA to accelerate its final decisions on Class VI well permits, the classification of underground injection well which allows for the permanent sequestration of carbon in rock formations deep below the ground. Without these wells, CCS projects cannot proceed.
“Approving Texas’ authority to permit Class VI wells is essential to alleviate the EPA’s years-long backlog of CO₂ permitting requests, which has stymied untold investments and jobs,” said TXOGA President Todd Staples. “Time is of the essence because CCS projects will create thousands of new jobs every year, while helping our robust manufacturing sector in Texas reduce its CO₂ emissions. We urge the Trump Administration to approve the Railroad Commission of Texas’ application for Class VI primacy without further delay to allow Texas to continue to lead America’s lower-carbon future.”
North Dakota, Wyoming, Louisiana, and most recently West Virginia, have all been granted primacy from the EPA. Texas submitted its application for Class VI primacy in 2022, but remains in the “pre-application activities phase” on the EPA’s tracker.
The EPA currently has over 160 applications for Class VI wells under review, one third of which are located in Texas, with most applications already surpassing the EPA’s 2-year target review period. Moreover, 63 percent of Class VI permits in Texas were filed in the last 12 months, indicating a growing demand and opportunity in the state.
Click here to read the full letter.
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Founded in 1919, TXOGA is the oldest and largest oil and gas trade association in Texas representing every facet of the industry.