The Railroad Commission of Texas has begun sending its oil and gas inspectors through specialized electrical safety instruction, a step the agency says will sharpen their ability to identify and reduce wildfire hazards at well sites across the state.
A first group of 14 inspectors from the Commission’s Oil and Gas Division attended Electrical Power Awareness Training at the Quanta Advanced Training Center in La Grange from Aug. 17 to 20, according to an Aug. 21 news release. The agency said the program builds on recent Commission initiatives by providing instruction designed to strengthen technical knowledge and better equip inspectors to identify and mitigate wildfire risks in the field.
The curriculum covered electrical fundamentals and theory, reading and interpreting electrical schematics, safety and hazard prevention, and testing and troubleshooting practices, the Commission said. It also incorporated oil and gas specific modules addressing issues inspectors may encounter at well sites. The training center is operated by Quanta Services, which the release described as an infrastructure solution services company that provides engineering, construction and training for transmission lines, substations and distribution networks serving the electric power industry.
“Collaborating with electrical infrastructure experts gives our inspectors firsthand operational insight and practical knowledge to mitigate wildfire risk,” Wei Wang, executive director of the Railroad Commission, said. “By leveraging their deep industry experience, we are strengthening our regulatory oversight to safeguard Texas communities and keep the state’s energy infrastructure running safely.”
The agency said the course supports enforcement of 16 Texas Administrative Code Section 21(l), which requires that oil and gas operators operate and maintain electrical power lines in compliance with the National Electrical Code. State officials noted that the course was developed in response to heightened awareness of the issue, reflected in the passage of House Bill 143 and House Bill 2663 during the 89th Texas legislative session.
Over the next nine months, the Commission plans to send more than 120 inspectors through the Quanta Advanced Training Center as part of its continuing work to address risks posed by improperly maintained electrical power lines at well sites. Established in 1891, the Railroad Commission is the oldest regulatory agency in Texas and oversees oil and gas production, intrastate pipelines, natural gas utilities, alternative fuels safety and surface mining.