The Texas Railroad Commission (TRC) has revealed that commissioner Wayne Christian has been unanimously elected chairman of the organization for the second time.
“It has been an honor of my lifetime to serve on the Railroad Commission during a historic time for our state and nation,” Christian said following the vote. “Now, it is my privilege to serve as chairman at a point when our nation’s energy security is under threat by those in the media, the education system, and most of all, the federal government,” he added in the statement.
“I want thank commissioners Craddick and Wright for their hard work and trust in me to lead our great agency …As chairman, I will work tirelessly to ensure the commission continues its long history of responsible energy production that creates good-paying jobs and provides a consistent and predictable regulatory environment that allows businesses to succeed while preserving public safety and protecting the environment,” Christian went on to say.
Former chair Craddick said Christian has proved himself to be a steadfast leader at the Railroad Commission of Texas.
“I am honored to pass the chairmanship along to him and am confident that his expertise and work ethic will successfully guide this agency through the important issues that lie ahead,” Craddick said.
Commenting on Christian’s election, commissioner Wright said: “I have had the good fortune to serve alongside two outstanding colleagues since my arrival at the Railroad Commission in January and want to thank commissioner Craddick for her leadership and congratulate my friend, Wayne Christian, on his election to chairman.
“I know chairman Christian will be a forceful advocate on behalf of our agency and domestic energy production here in Texas, and I look forward to working with him to advance our shared goals,” Wright added.
Christian, who is described as a lifelong conservative businessman, was elected as the 50th Texas Railroad Commissioner in November 2016 and has since been appointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) as the Official Representative of Texas. Prior to his time at the TRC, Christian served seven sessions in the Texas House of Representatives.
Craddick was unanimously elected chairman of the TRC in September 2020. In January 2021, Wright was sworn-in as the 51st Railroad Commissioner of Texas.
The TRC is the oldest regulatory agency in Texas and one of the oldest of its kind in the nation. The organization is the state agency with primary regulatory jurisdiction over the oil and natural gas industry, pipeline transporters, natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline industry, natural gas utilities, the LP-gas industry, and coal and uranium surface mining operations.
For more information visit www.rrc.texas.gov
