If signed into law, the bipartisan bill would potentially hamstring attempts by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate pollution by the oil and gas industry, putting the state — by far the nation’s largest source of planet-warming emissions from fossil fuels — on a collision course with both the Biden administration and future attempts to slow climate change.
The bill would prohibit state agencies and officials from “providing assistance to any federal agency or official regarding the enforcement of the federal statute, order, rule or regulation, regulating oil and gas operations — if the regulation is not already existing in state law,” state Rep. Brooks Landgraf (R) told the Texas House Energy Resources committee on Monday.
The bill is part of a larger series of proposed legislation aimed at growing the Texas oil and gas industry while weakening the federal government’s ability to regulate it — despite attempts to do so currently remaining hypothetical.
Other legislation proposed this session would outlaw prospective bans on gas hookups or petroleum-powered lawn equipment, create new fees for electric and hybrid vehicles and tax all new electric generators that aren’t powered by natural gas...more
2 comments:
Texas, unlike the states west of the Rocky Mountains, enjoys less than 2% federal land ownership, providing strong argument for making their own decisions on energy production a bit easier without the heavy hand of government. Compare that to say, Nevada at 81% fed control.
Thanks Gary.
What you wrote is also true when it comes to other resource issues, such as water and wildlife. The larger the federal presence through land ownership, the smaller the jurisdiction or influence of the state.
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