Texas Railroad Commission appoints new Chairman

At an open meeting of the Railroad Commission of Texas, Commissioner Wayne Christian was unanimously elected Chairman.

Following the vote, Wayne released the following statement: “It has been the honour of my life to serve on the Railroad Commission during this historic period of growth for our state’s oil and gas industry,” said Wayne. “Largely because of Texas, America has become the largest producer of oil and gas in the world, giving us not only energy security, but national security as well.”

“At the same time we have seen tremendous growth in the industry, we have seen great gains environmentally,” continued Wayne. “From 1970 to 2017, the six major pollutants monitored by the EPA plunged by 73 percent, while the U.S. economy grew 262 percent and its population by 60 percent.”

“As Chairman, I look forward to continuing to ensure our agency provides a consistent, predictable regulatory environment that allows businesses to thrive and protects the public from bad actors,” said Wayne. “I would like to thank Commissioners Craddick and Sitton for their service and entrusting me with this honour.”

After the open meeting, Former Chairwoman Craddick made the following statement: “I look forward to Chairman Christian’s leadership. His service to Texas and his appreciation of the industry makes him a great leader for this agency.”

Wayne Christian was elected as the 50th Texas Railroad Commissioner in November 2016. In June of 2019, he was elected to lead the agency as Chairman by his fellow commissioners. Prior to his time at the Commission, Wayne served seven Sessions in the Texas House of Representatives, accumulating a strong record of standing for free markets and against burdensome regulations. 

In addition to his duties as Commissioner, Wayne was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to serve as the Official Representative of Texas on the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission.

For more information visit www.rrc.state.tx.us

24th June 2019