Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Wayne Christian on Friday welcomed a recent report indicating operators in the Permian basin have decreased methane intensity by 50 percent since 2022 while oil and natural gas production saw all-time highs. Commissioner Christian stated:
"Texas' proven energy producers once more are showing that you can drill fossil fuels and have a good environment. Through industry solutions and innovation – not federal mandates delivered from on high – our state is reducing emissions while continuing to fuel America on low-cost energy. As the nation's top oil- and natural gas-producer, this achievement means we can produce dependable, low-cost energy and actually achieve environmental benefits-without sacrificing jobs or energy security."
Radical enviro extremists and MSM used out-of-context flare shot images, out of the Permian Basin, to intimidate normal Americans and Wall Street for decades. This fueled the false Net Zero narrative and contributed to the creation of ESG, which suppressed oil and gas investment and resulted in costly and insecure American energy. Fortunately, the Trump Administration rolled back Biden's Green New Deal Agenda and emphasized more U.S. oil and gas production.
Background: Christian, in 2020, appealed to a Blue Ribbon Task Force to focus on minimizing flaring and maximizing environmental performance while maintaining Texas' leadership as the nation's energy leader. The Task Force drafted a comprehensive report with recommendations to minimize flaring, streamline regulations, and promote transparency. Its strategy was aimed at the requirement to recover natural gas that otherwise would be discarded as waste by burning it off, to use new technology, and to give regulatory certainty to allow economic recovery and environmental progress.
Under Christian's leadership, Texas achieved a historic low rate of flaring thanks to improved infrastructure, more comprehensive reporting, and self-motivated actions by the industry. The Texas flaring rate decreased 63% from June 2019 to May 2025. On a monthly basis, rates have consistently remained below one percent, meaning that over 99% of Texas natural gas production is being utilized for beneficial purposes.
The Texas Methane & Flaring Coalition's recent report shows that such initiatives can be successful, that decreases in emissions and sustainable development of energy do not have to be either.