America’s oil and gas machine has found new momentum under President Donald J Trump, according to the The Railroad Commission of Texas, the agency that regulates the Lone Star state’s industry.
As Trump approaches his 100th day in office, Energy Voice has been speaking to the US industry to get the inside track on the new president’s changes to policy and see what Americans are really thinking about the future of energy supply and demand.
Wayne Christian, the Railroad Commissioner for Texas said Trump’s actions to pull back the red-tape of the Environmental Protection Agency and the scrapping of Barack Omama’s eco-friendly legacy projects have given a fresh boost to the oil and gas industry.
He said: “In his first 100 days, President Trump has demonstrated his administration will eliminate frivolous regulations and barriers to energy production and transportation in the United States.
“From his efforts to undo the costly and ineffective so-called ‘Clean Power Plan’ to unleashing to full potential of the Keystone XL pipeline, Trump has prioritized economic growth, job creation, and providing cheap and plentiful energy to the American people.”
Established by Texas Legislature in 1891, The Railroad Commission is the state’s oldest regulatory agency and began as part of the Efficiency Movement of the Progressive Era.
Between the 1930s and 1960s it was largely responsible for setting world oil price before being displaced by the OPEC cartel in 1973.
In the mid-1980s the federal government took pver regulation for railroads, trucking and buses but the commission kept its name.
It now has an annual budget of $79million and focuses entirely on oil, gas, mining, propane, and pipelines.