FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Melissa Brown, mbrown@usea.org

The United States Energy Association (USEA) today commends the Trump Administration and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin for approving the State of Texas’ request to administer permitting for Class VI underground injection wells under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).

“This is a significant milestone for carbon capture infrastructure in the United States," said USEA President and CEO Mark Menezes. "By granting Texas primacy over Class VI permitting, the EPA has taken an important step toward streamlining the regulatory process while maintaining strong environmental protections. Texas has demonstrated the technical expertise and regulatory framework necessary to effectively manage this program. This decision will help accelerate the deployment of carbon capture and storage projects, supporting both energy security and environmental goals."

Class VI wells are specifically designed for the geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide, making CCUS a critical technology for American Energy Dominance that bolsters economic growth and provides good-paying jobs, all while reducing emissions from power generation and industrial sources. The approval allows Texas to directly oversee the permitting process for carbon sequestration wells within the state, rather than requiring federal EPA review for each individual permit.

Menezes also noted that primacy delegation can significantly reduce permitting timelines while ensuring rigorous geological and engineering standards are maintained to protect underground sources of drinking water.

"We look forward to seeing other states with suitable geology and regulatory capacity pursue similar primacy authority,” Menezes added. “Carbon capture and storage will be essential to meeting long-term energy security, reliability, and affordability objectives while maintaining American leadership in emissions reductions."