Adobe Stock
For decades, our state’s economic growth, job creation, and industrial strength has been dubbed the “Texas Miracle.” Texas has remained the best place in America to grow a business by being forward looking, streamlining regulations, and committing to energy leadership.
Zack Abnet
One of the most immediate economic development priorities for Texas is securing state permitting authority over Class VI wells, a process known as “primacy” which will allow the state of Texas to efficiently permit infrastructure used to inject and store carbon dioxide deep underground. The US Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) recently took a meaningful step forward by signing a Memorandum of Agreement outlining the state’s plan for administering its carbon storage programs, but additional milestones still lie ahead, including an opportunity for the public to express their comments.
As consumer demands for low-carbon products grow across the globe, carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a safe, proven technology that will allow existing Texas industries to utilize domestic natural gas to introduce new products and adapt to these changing trends.
However, companies investing in these technologies have been stuck in a slow and unpredictable federal permitting process. About one-third of all permits pending at EPA today are from Texas, but staggeringly, only one permit has been approved in the last four years.
Texas has succeeded because we believe in letting Texans solve our state’s challenges. If Texas is granted primacy, it can take control of its own permitting, utilize its own resources to accelerate investment in a responsible manner, and ensure Texas remains a place where manufacturers can advance cutting edge technology. Primacy would allow the RRC to use its expertise to regulate underground injection with the same rigorous safety and environmental standards as the EPA. The RRC understands our state’s unique geology, workforce and industries and can fairly apply stringent safety and environmental protections.
Accelerating carbon capture and storage can also play a key role in strengthening the state’s power grid, which is important to businesses and residents. Natural gas power plants provide at least half of our electricity, ensuring grid stability and providing on-demand electricity. By streamlining permitting, Texas can accelerate the deployment of CCS at these plants, allowing them to continue providing affordable and reliable power while reducing emissions, especially as energy demands grow.
If Texas is granted Class VI primacy, it will unlock billions of dollars in private investment and create thousands of high-paying jobs in engineering, construction, and operations. These projects won’t just benefit the energy sector — they will strengthen the entire industrial supply chain. From equipment suppliers to logistics companies, the ripple effects of CCS investments will support businesses across Texas.
Every month that goes by means delayed investments, lost jobs, and a weaker industrial base. That’s why we were proud to have recently joined 32 other leading community organizations across the state in urging the EPA to approve Texas’ application for Class VI well primacy without further delay. West Virginia, Wyoming, North Dakota, and even Louisiana have successfully received primacy and there is no reason for Texas to continue waiting, especially when we have the experienced staff and resources to do the job efficiently and responsibly.
If we want to keep the Texas Miracle alive, we must eliminate the unnecessary roadblocks that slow down industrial investment and job creation. Granting Texas primacy over Class VI wells will send a clear message that our state is open to innovation, ready to lead, and committed to supporting industries that power our economy.
Zack Abnet is the Texas state director of the American Conservation Coalition.