Texas Granted Primacy Over Class VI Wells, Streamlining Carbon Capture And Storage Permitting

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Nov. 12, 2025, announced a final rule granting the State of Texas primary implementation and enforcement authority (also known as primacy) for Class VI Underground Injection Control (UIC) wells when EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin signed the pre-publication version of the final rule on behalf of the agency.

This important decision supports cooperative federalism goals by transferring the sole authority for permitting wells used for geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration from the EPA to the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC). Primacy is viewed as a critical step toward streamlining and significantly accelerating the permitting process for carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects across the state. Texas is now the sixth state to receive primacy for its Class VI UIC program from EPA, joining Arizona, West Virginia, Louisiana, Wyoming and North Dakota. The final rule will become effective 30 days after publication in