Ben Shepperd,
PBPA President
It is already been a busy start to the year for the members of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association and of course our staff. With the legislative session kicking off in Santa Fe as well as the very busy beginning of the year at the federal level, we continue to remain vigilant and active monitoring activity in Texas, New Mexico, and Washington, D.C. There continue to be important regulatory activities at EPA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Interior, and of course, at the state agencies in Austin and Santa Fe.
In New Mexico, the legislative session has been focused on the budget, but several other important issues have been offered that the oil and gas industry is actively working on.
These include legislation to modify the Oil and Gas Act that includes dramatically increasing location setbacks, prohibiting the use of fresh water in operation, and attempts to raise penalty amounts for violations (again). PBPA has been working with state leaders for several months now to ensure that these proposed changes do not impede the ability of oil and gas operators to responsibly and safely develop the natural resources in the Permian Basin.
We’ve also seen several other pieces of legislation filed in the Roundhouse that are currently not subject to the call of the governor, but could be included at a later date and, of course, in the next regular session. PBPA and our members are well aware of the challenging environment that some legislative leaders would be pleased to impose on New Mexico, and we continue to work to educate and advocate on your behalf.
In fact, much of the budget opportunities that exist in New Mexico are entirely from the robust and responsible development of oil and gas in New Mexico, so state leaders must be aware of the negative impacts their regulatory changes could create.
In Texas our members continue to be focused on moving the ball forward after a very successful end of 2023 in our work with the Public Utility Commission and ensuring the reliable construction of necessary, electric infrastructure like transmission and distribution service across the Permian Basin.
Additionally, campaign seasons are in full swing with the Texas primary taking place in March and the New Mexico primary taking place in June. Many of the legislative seats at the state and federal level will be decided through primary elections because most districts have been drawn in a way that reduces their nature to swing from one party to the other. We encourage all members to continue to stay apprised of matters of electoral importance and PBPA will not engage in campaign activity. Your vote is your voice and elections have consequences.
Federally, PBPA is working on continued development of federal air quality standards, potential designation of non-attainment, the implementation of methane rules, and of course litigation related to the weaponization of the endangered species act specifically related to the Lesser Prairie chicken and the Dune Sagebrush lizard.
As you can tell, this is an incredibly important time for PBPA and our membership as we continue to work to ensure that the communities that are home to the oil and gas industry remain the greatest place to live, work, create jobs, and raise a family. Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to working with you to make this the best year yet.