Three Texas regulators with financial ties to the oil and gas industry could determine whether the country meets one of President Joe Biden’s climate goals, writes Ben Lefebvre. The Texas Railroad Commission oversees fossil fuel companies that are responsible for a substantial chunk of the United States’ greenhouse gas pollution, including methane. And its three commissioners — all Republicans — have joined the industry in opposing Biden administration efforts to limit the planet-warming gas. (Contrary to its name, the agency no longer regulates railroads). The commissioners have each received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from people and companies tied to Texas’ fossil fuel industry, according to Ben’s analysis of state disclosure records. They also own stock in oil- and gas-related companies, among other business and personal ties to the industry, Ben writes. All three commissioners issued statements defending their oversight of the industry and saying they comply with Texas’ ethics rules. “I base my decisions on what I believe is best for the state and our citizens. Period,” said one commissioner, James Wright. Why methane matters
Methane emissions are far more potent than carbon dioxide when it comes to planetary warming. And the commission plays a crucial role by approving companies’ decisions on how to handle their excess natural gas. So Biden’s ability to work with or circumvent the agency could determine whether the country achieves his goal of cutting methane releases in half by 2030. Scientists blame methane for one-third of the Earth’s temperature rise since the start of the Industrial Revolution. But compared with CO2, which can linger in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, methane dissipates rather quickly — making it a prime target for swiftly slowing global warming. The administration has proposed a fee on methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. It’s also weighing a rule to require oil companies to measure how much methane leaks from their operations, instead of relying on formulas that critics say underestimate the amount. Commission Chair Christi Craddick has criticized the administration’s efforts as an “attack on the industry that provides so much to our state.” The commission is also continuing to approve companies’ requests to burn methane at a rate that critics call a major climate liability. Last year, the commission said, it granted 95 percent of companies’ requests to burn their excess gas, a process known as flaring. Critics of the practice say companies should either store the gas or send it to market.
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