Holiday Office Closure

In observance of the Christmas holidays, Railroad Commission of Texas offices will be closed December 23-27. The offices will re-open at 8 a.m. on Monday, December 30 for regular business. Expedited Drilling Permits will be processed within standard processing times. If assistance is needed, please email Drillingpermits-info@rrc.texas.gov.
RRC maintains a 24-hour emergency phone line to report any leaks or spills. That number is 844-773-0305

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Commissioner Christian Pens Letter to Governor Abbott and Land Commissioner Buckingham Opposing Offshore Wind Farms Off Texas Gulf Coast

August 16, 2023

AUSTIN –Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian sent a letter to Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham voicing his opposition to the installation of offshore wind farms in the Gulf of Mexico after the Biden Administration announced plans to auction off more than 300,000 acres for offshore wind energy.

In the letter, Commissioner Christian detailed concerns with wind farms along the Atlantic Coast that likely will translate to the implementation of windmills along the Texas Gulf Coast and suggests actions that could be taken to halt installation.

“Texas must stop President Biden’s offshore wind farms from invading the Gulf of Mexico, which endanger our gulf coast by harming delicate ecologies and vital industries and further cripple our electrical grid with more unreliable power,” said Commissioner Christian.

“From funding his ‘green’ energy fantasies with the passage of the largest climate bill in history to an unrelenting barrage of bureaucratic rules from his agencies, Biden has kept his campaign promise of transitioning America away from fossil fuels and our nation’s middle class is worse off for it,” continued Christian. “Offshore wind is just President Biden’s next ploy of taxpayer subsidized boondoggles that will have far-reaching implications for environmental ecosystems, industries, transportation, supply chains, local communities and more.”

You can read the letter here.

If you would like to learn more about how offshore wind is harmful, check out “Wayne’s World: Energizing Texas.” Episode #14 featuring Meghan Lapp. Lapp is the fisheries liaison for Atlantic commercial fishers suing regarding the offshore wind farms along the Atlantic coast. You can find it here.

A lifelong conservative businessman, Wayne Christian was elected as our 50th Texas Railroad Commissioner in November 2016. Prior to his time at the Commission, Christian served seven sessions in the Texas House of Representatives, accumulating a strong record of standing for free markets and against burdensome regulations. Christian is married to his wife, Lisa, and together they have three daughters, Liza, Lindsey and Lauren. You can learn more about Chairman Christian here.

About the Railroad Commission:
Our mission is to serve Texas by our stewardship of natural resources and the environment, our concern for personal and community safety, and our support of enhanced development and economic vitality for the benefit of Texans. The Commission has a long and proud history of service to both Texas and to the nation, including more than 100 years regulating the oil and gas industry. The Commission also has jurisdiction over alternative fuels safety, natural gas utilities, surface mining and intrastate pipelines. Established in 1891, the Railroad Commission of Texas is the oldest regulatory agency in the state. To learn more, please visit https://www.rrc.texas.gov/about-us/.