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Senate committee hears testimony supporting bill to force removal or de-energizing of electrical equipment at long‑inactive oil wells
Summary
Lawmakers and Panhandle landowners told the Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development that House Bill 26 63 would reduce wildfire risk by requiring operators to remove or de‑electrify electrical service equipment on wells inactive 10 years or more and authorizing Railroad Commission penalties for noncompliance.
House Bill 26 63 would require operators of oil and gas wells inactive for 10 or more years to affirm that electrical service equipment has been removed or de‑energized when applying for a plugging extension, and would authorize the Railroad Commission of Texas to levy administrative penalties of up to $25,000 for false affirmations or failed decommissioning.
Supporters told the Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development that the legislation responds to findings from a 2024 Panhandle wildfire investigation. "These fires burned over a million acres resulting in the death of over 20 to 30,000 head of cattle," said James Henderson, a landowner in…
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