Qualifications: What training, experience and characteristics qualify you for this position?
ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC SAFETY: What steps would you take to eliminate the backlog of uncapped abandoned oil, gas, and injection wells across the state?our campaign donors?
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: How would you improve transparency and public participation in the Commission’s rulemaking and permitting process?
MONITORING AND ENFORCEMENT: How would you ensure that the Commission is able to provide adequate monitoring and enforcement to the oil, gas, and mining sectors?
CHALLENGES: What do you see as the two greatest challenges to the office, and how would you address them?
Jim Wright
Currently Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission. Started working in energy industry at age 19. Later created a group of environmental management companies that service the energy sector.
The RRC is currently working with the U.S. Department of the Interior to streamline and improve the federal Orphaned Wells Grant Program. That and recent legislative initiatives in the state legislature make it easier to cut through red tape and allow the RRC to utilize its world-renowned well plugging expertise and save taxpayers money.
We engage with the public through open meetings and the RRC website, making information available on proposed rules. We have sector based advisory groups and remote listening sessions, hosted by the Office of Public Engagement. Those allow energy experts to answer questions on rulemaking and permitting processes As chairman, I know transparency in what we do as a goverment agency is critical.
RRC has been hard at work to improve our efficiency in staffing and the use of new data tools to flag potential potential issues or questionable recordings. That commitment results in better follow up to serious complaints by the general public and ensures consistency in the reporting. Improved data results in improved monitoring and enforcement.
1. Support the best use of our natural resources to benefit Texans, while maintaing stewardship of the environment. 2. Balancing the needs and wants of the various sectors and sizes of energy related businesses from small businesses to multi-million dollar interests so that decisions are fair to all stakeholders.
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