Texas officials may soon take over permitting of carbon storage wells, a milestone that supporters hope will supercharge the emerging industry in the Lone Star State and beyond.
But how fast the state will act is an open question, and analysts caution that gaining state authority doesn’t guarantee an immediate flood of new permits for CO2 wells. The industry itself is navigating public opposition, the effects of inflation and shifting policy moves by the Trump administration.
EPA signaled its Texas plans in June when it issued a proposed rule that would approve the state’s request for top regulatory control over Class VI wells that send carbon dioxide into rock formations for long-term storage. The Railroad Commission of Texas told EPA it envisions issuing around 25 permits for Class VI wells during the first two years of its control.
“I think a lot of people that are hesitant to believe in the ability of carbon storage to be a real solution are watching Texas,” said Nichole Saunders, a senior attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund’s energy transition team. Saunders said Texas’ primacy over CO2 wells “cannot be an opportunity to trade safety for speed.”