JANUARY 2026
ENERGY
NEWS
From the Field Photo Martin County Photo by Sarah Schmidt
2025
RRC Year in Review Sneak Peak
TEXAS ENERGY ON TRACK
With special guest RRC Director of Public Affairs, Christian Goff
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Upcoming Events
TABLE OF
CONTENTS Bryce Dubee, co-host Texas Energy on Track 3 Upcoming Events 4 Letter from the RRC 5 Critical Infrastructure Division Completes 100% of Tier One Facilities 6 Year in Review A Sneak Peak into the RRC’s 2025 Accomplishments 8 Mark Evarts Promoted to Director of Oversight and Safety Division 10 Listening Sessions Register for the Event
11 Texas Energy on Track Podcast 12 COMMISSIONERS’ CORNER
UPCOMING EVENTS
Listen to a Texas Energy On Track New Episode Every Other Episode 10 Out Now Wednesday! Featuring Chairman Jim Wright
Wednesday, Noon
Listening Sessions: Understanding the RRC Remote via Microsoft Teams.
JAN
14 2026
Tuesday, 9:30 a.m.
JAN
Open Meeting
2026
Join us in Austin at the William B. Travis Building or online here https://www.adminmo nitor.com/tx/rrc/.
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FROM THE RRC ENERGY NEWS
Happy New Year! Welcome to this month’s edition of RRC Energy News. Each issue is our opportunity to keep Texans informed about the work we do every day to support a safe, reliable and responsible energy industry. Thank you for reading and for staying engaged with the work of the Railroad Commission of Texas. We look forward to bringing you more updates, stories and accomplishments each month.
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TIER ONE INSPECTIONS RRC’s Critical Infrastructure Division is committed to serving the people of Texas by ensuring the natural gas industry consistently incorporates weatherization and reliability standards and practices to achieve uninterruptible natural gas production throughout the year especially during periods of energy emergencies in the state.
The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) is taking important steps to help ensure adequate natural gas supply to keep Texans safe this winter season. These include important weatherization inspections of critical natural gas facilities currently being conducted throughout the state by the Critical Infrastructure Division (CID). As part of the agency’s commitment to protecting Texans during extreme weather events, CID conducted more than 7,400 inspections of natural gas facilities for weatherization preparedness in FY25 and has already begun work on the FY26 Extreme Cold Inspection Schedule. For the new fiscal year, CID has inspected 100% of Tier One facilities, which are critical components of gas supply. Tier One facilities are oil and gas leases that produce more than 5 million cubic feet of gas daily, gas processing plants, underground gas storage facilities and natural gas pipelines that directly connect to electricity generation plants. To further strengthen preparedness, CID recently hosted a tabletop exercise with operators. The session provided guidance on inspection readiness, emergency management practices and weather‑related
resources to ensure operators have the tools and knowledge needed as Texas heads into the winter months. Additionally, underground natural gas storage provides a critical reserve that can be drawn upon during severe weather emergencies. As of November 30, 2025, the RRC reported 525 billion cubic feet of working gas in storage, which is the highest monthly total recorded in more than 25 years of tracking volumes. “From electric generation to home heating, the RRC is committed to helping keep Texas prepared for winter weather," said Wei Wang, RRC Executive Director. “This includes ongoing inspections and collaborations with oil and gas operators. We take every step we can to make sure gas flows when we need it, and we want to reassure Texans that the agency takes an all-hands-on deck approach to protect residents in weather-related emergencies. From gas production to gas storage, Texas is seeing more gas than ever with historic highs.” The RRC’s winter weatherization inspections of critical natural gas facilities will continue through the end of March.
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YEAR IN REVIEW SNEAK PEAK 2025
AN EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK INTO THE STORIES THAT SHAPED THE RRC’S YEAR
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In 2025, the RRC built on its legacy as the state’s oldest regulatory agency, reinforcing its role in environmental stewardship and public safety while advancing new initiatives to meet the demands of a rapidly growing energy sector.
The Year in Review will be published in mid-January and will spotlight key accomplishments including Texas being granted primacy, enhanced environmental protections, milestones in geothermal regulation and national recognition for the RRC’s orphan well plugging program. Each underscoring the Commission’s commitment to safeguarding Texans and supporting one of the world’s most productive energy regions. Keep your eyes out for the full Year in Review, coming soon!
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NEW DIRECTOR OF OVERSIGHT AND SAFETY DIVISION The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) is pleased to announce that Mark Evarts has been named the new director of the Commission’s Oversight and Safety Division. The division’s core responsibilities are over the RRC’s Alternative Fuels, Gas Services and Pipeline Safety departments, including oversight of more than 400,000 miles of pipelines in Texas, the largest system of pipeline infrastructure in the nation. Evarts has served in numerous management roles at the Railroad Commission since 2008, most recently as Acting Director of the Oversight and Safety Division. While serving in this role, he has continued to manage the Gas Services Department, which includes the Market Oversight Section and the Gas Utility Audit Section, a role he has been in since 2022. Prior to that, he was the Director of the Market Oversight Section for fourteen years and a Special Projects Director for eleven years.
Under his leadership and with the strengths of his team members, the Gas Services Department and the Market Oversight Section have effectively provided regulatory oversight over and collaborated with 150+ Texas natural gas utilities, encouraging competition, efficiencies and compliance with applicable laws and rules. This took place during a period of high industry growth and in response to several extraordinarily disruptive events to the utility industry, such as Winter Storm Uri, Hurricane Harvey and a major federal income tax rate change. His prior industry experience includes operations management, investment banking and public accounting. Evarts’ deep industry knowledge and proven leadership will enable him to excel in guiding the Oversight and Safety Division, ensuring the Commission’s mission of safety and accountability across Texas’ energy infrastructure.
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MARK EVARTS Director, Oversight and Safety Division
“When people outside the Commission ask me why I have chosen to work here for as long as I have, I respond that it is the importance of the work we do and the commitment and community of the people throughout the agency.”
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RRC LISTENING SESSIONS: A STRONG START The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) successfully launched its inaugural Remote Listening Session on November 12, 2025. Texans from across the state joined virtually to share perspectives, ask questions and engage directly with RRC subject matter experts. Building on this success, the RRC will continue hosting Listening Sessions every other month to ensure ongoing opportunities for public engagement.
UPCOMING SESSION DETAILS: Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2026 from noon to 1:30 p.m. CST. Format: These sessions will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams, with a dial‑in option available for convenience. Spanish translation services will also be provided. Registration: Texans can register in advance here: https://events.gcc.teams.micr osoft.com/event/30e58bf4c334-4c69-ab59853c7a157dc5@a3b01f75ff4a-4001-9d689ba9ec5ea0bc
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TEXAS ENERGY ON TRACK
PODCAST EPISODE 9 Host Bryce Dubee and co-host Nick Kraynok talk with Christopher Cabrera, Safety and Emergency Management Lead at the RRC. The discussion includes talking about deployment to the State Operations Center, emergency training, emergency management at the Commission and more!
SPECIAL EPISODE Joined by RRC Director of Public Affairs, Christian Goff, host Bryce Dubee and co-host Nick Kraynok wrap up 2025 by taking a look back at some of the agency’s accomplishments and big news items from the previous year.
EPISODE 10 Host Bryce Dubee and co-host Nick Kraynok sit down with Chairman Jim Wright for a wide-ranging conversation. They discuss his experience serving as chairman and much more.
CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITE PLATFORM
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COMMISSIONERS’ CORNER In December, Chairman Wright traveled to Houston to attend the University of Texas at Arlington’s Oil and Gas Safety, Health and Environmental Conference.
CHAIRMAN WRIGHT
Chairman Wright participated in a Natural Resources and Environmental panel with his regulatory counterparts from Arkansas and Kansas, where they discussed the importance of regulatory certainty and the different methods used to achieve compliance within their respective agencies.
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COMMISSIONERS’ CORNER To our dedicated staff: As we begin a new year, I want to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation for your hard work and commitment to the important role you serve. As a result of your dedication, last year was full of achievements, progress, and success. I thank you for your partnership, and for your work to keep Texas the global energy leader. I look forward to what we will accomplish together this year.
COMMISSIONER CRADDICK
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OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY RESOURCES OIL & GAS PRODUCTION STATISTICS
VIEW MONTHLY PRODUCTION TOTALS OF CRUDE OIL, CONDENSATE AND TOTAL OIL; AND OF GAS WELL GAS, CASINGHEAD GAS AND TOTAL NATURAL GAS
VIEW CURRENT PRODUCTION STATISTICS
ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS
THE COMMISSION HAS PRIMARY OVERSIGHT AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE STATE’S OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY AND INTRASTATE PIPELINE SAFETY.
VIEW LATEST ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS
PUBLIC GIS VIEWER
THE PUBLIC GIS VIEWER ALLOWS USERS TO VIEW OIL, GAS AND PIPELINE DATA IN A MAP VIEW
LAUNCH THE PUBLIC GIS VIEWER
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JANUARY 2026
ENERGY
NEWS
A RAILROAD COMMISSION PUBLICATION
2026 • ISSUE NO. 1