Texas can now approve carbon capture wells without federal review
What happened
Texas can now approve permits for underground carbon storage wells. This means companies in Texas will deal with state regulators instead of federal ones for these projects.
Why it matters
The US environmental regulators have been the only authority for these wells. Now, Texas becomes the third state to take over this job. This could speed up how quickly carbon capture projects get approved in Texas, which has a lot of suitable geology for storage.
The signal
Watch how quickly the Texas Railroad Commission processes the first few Class VI well permits, compared to the federal average.