The Railroad Commission of Texas has a returning leader at its helm. Commissioners voted unanimously on Aug. 18 to elect Commissioner Christi Craddick chairman of the three-member panel, according to an agency news release, restoring her to a post she has held before.
The chairmanship carries reach well beyond the agency’s Austin headquarters. Established in 1891, the commission is the oldest regulatory agency in Texas and holds primary regulatory authority over the exploration, production and transportation of oil and natural gas, along with pipeline safety, natural gas utilities and the state’s surface coal and uranium mining operations. The agency said in the release that the industry it regulates supports millions of jobs and generates billions of dollars in state and local tax revenue.
“I am deeply honored by the confidence my fellow Commissioners have placed in me,” Chairman Christi Craddick said in the release. “Texas is the energy capital of the world because of the hardworking men and women who produce the resources that fuel our economy, power our communities, and strengthen our national security.” She added that she intends to keep the commission “a fair, effective, and transparent regulator while protecting public safety and the environment.”
Her colleagues framed the vote as continuity. Commissioner Wayne Christian said in the release that Craddick’s “prior experience as Chairman will serve the agency well as we continue to improve agency efficiency, protect Texas’ natural resources, advance energy abundance and support Texas jobs.”
Commissioner Jim Wright, who held the gavel over the past year, said in the release that his tenure had been “the honor of a lifetime” and that the commission “will be in good hands” under Craddick. Wright credited her leadership since joining the commission with playing an important role in what he called the resurgence of Texas energy dominance.
Craddick was first elected statewide in 2012. According to the agency, her tenure has centered on modernizing commission operations, enhancing transparency and maintaining a predictable regulatory framework meant to encourage responsible energy development. The commission said it has made significant investments in technology modernization during that period, expanded efforts to address orphaned wells and continued implementing legislative priorities aimed at improving efficiency and accountability.
As chairman, Craddick will continue steering the commission’s oversight of critical energy infrastructure at a moment when Texas production remains central to national energy supply. State officials noted the agency’s jurisdiction also extends to alternative fuels safety and intrastate pipelines, giving the chairmanship influence over a regulatory portfolio that touches nearly every corner of the state’s energy economy.