Texas House
Standing Committee
Oversees the conservation, production, regulation, and development of Texas’ oil, gas, and other energy resources, including pipelines, electric utility regulation, and alternative energy.
Committee Leadership
Committee Composition
Committee Size
11 Members
Republicans
6
Democrats
5
Committee Partisan Split
6R – 5D
Committee Membership
Most Recent Session Activity
Metrics reflect activity during the most recent legislative session.
Legislation Referred
693
Legislation Voted Out
124
Overall Efficiency
52.78%
Committee Meetings
23
Interim Charges
- Monitoring: Monitor the implementation and associated rulemaking of all legislation passed by the Committee and enacted by the 89th Legislature to ensure that legislative purposes are properly implemented, including the following:
- HB 48, relating to the creation of an organized oilfield theft prevention unit within the Texas Department of Public Safety; and
- HB 2663, relating to the affirmation required to be made by an operator as part of an application to the Railroad Commission of Texas for an extension of the deadline for plugging an inactive well.
- Produced Water: Review the utilization of produced water in Texas. Examine efforts to develop mechanisms for beneficial reuse, barriers to deployment, and other financial impediments limiting the use of produced water. Evaluate the effectiveness of recently passed legislation to address liability concerns and streamline permitting. Make recommendations to encourage greater utilization of this resource.
- Hydrogen: Survey the state of the hydrogen industry in Texas. Review the Railroad Commission of Texas’ Hydrogen Production Policy Council recommendations and determine whether statutory changes are necessary to improve the production, transmission, and utilization of hydrogen.
- Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage: Evaluate the continued viability of commercial carbon capture, utilization, and storage in Texas. Analyze the effect of carbon capture projects on energy development and security. Evaluate relevant case law and statutes related to the ownership of pore space, operator liability, and environmental protections. Review how the recent attainment of Class VI primacy may impact the future development of carbon capture projects.
- Severed Well Operations: Review the procedures and administrative rules related to severed wells and the process for an operator to resume operations after a well has been severed. Make recommendations to address any relevant safety and regulatory compliance concerns regarding severed well operations.
- Seismic Activity and Injection Wells: Study the Railroad Commission of Texas’ regulation of disposal and injection wells and determine whether additional measures are needed to protect public safety and critical infrastructure. Review the efficacy of current statutes, rules, and industry practices intended to mitigate seismic activity related to injection and disposal wells.
- P-13 Water Wells Overview: Study the impact of environmental hazards caused by P-13 water wells. Determine the appropriate state agency best positioned to have primary regulatory authority over environmental hazards caused by discharges from P-13 water wells associated with oil and gas and mineral production. Review current and projected costs associated with managing these hazards and identify potential funding mechanisms necessary to plug such wells.
- Preventing Orphaned Wells: Monitor the implementation of SB 1150 and review the administrative processes and safeguards in place to ensure inactive wells are adequately and timely plugged. Identify strategies and policy recommendations to reduce the number of inactive wells that become orphaned.
- Global Energy Overview: Assess the impact of increased geopolitical uncertainty on Texas’ oil and gas industry. Consider the effects of regime changes in the Middle East, the importation of Venezuelan oil, tanker traffic risks in the Strait of Hormuz, and disruptions to the international liquefied natural gas market.
- Agency Oversight: Pursuant to the broad oversight responsibilities granted to the Committee under Section 301.014, Government Code, and the House Rules of Procedure, monitor the agencies under the Committee’s jurisdiction, including for fraud, waste, and abuse, where applicable. The jurisdiction of the Energy Resources Committee includes the following agencies:
- The Railroad Commission of Texas;
- The Texas representative for the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission;
- The Office of Interstate Mining Compact Commissioner for Texas;
- The State Energy Conservation Office; and
- The Office of Southern States Energy Board Member for Texas.
Committee Jurisdiction
The committee shall have 11 members, with jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to:
- The conservation of the energy resources of Texas.
- The production, regulation, transportation, and development of oil, gas, and other energy resources.
- Mining and the development of mineral deposits within the state.
- The leasing and regulation of mineral rights under public lands.
- Pipelines, pipeline companies, and all others operating as common carriers in the state.
- Electric utility regulation as it relates to energy production and consumption.
- Identifying, developing, and using alternative energy sources.
- Increasing energy efficiency throughout the state.
- The coordination of the state’s efforts related to the federal designation of threatened and endangered species as it relates to energy resources in the state.
- The following state agencies: the Railroad Commission of Texas, the Texas representative for the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, the Office of Interstate Mining Compact Commissioner for Texas, the State Energy Conservation Office, and the Office of Southern States Energy Board Member for Texas.
Committee Contact Information
Capitol Location
Capitol Extension, E2.162
Phone Number
(512) 463-0774
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