Texas Legislature Increases Well Plugging Budget as Backlog GrowsInside Climate NewsMedia Coverage | Jun 25, 2025

The Railroad Commission’s program for sealing orphan oil and gas wells will get an additional $100 million over the next two years. But advocates say policy changes are needed to prevent the list of orphan wells from continuing to grow.

By Martha Pskowski
June 25, 2025

Virginia Palacios, the executive director of Commission Shift, a nonprofit that advocates for reforms to oil and gas regulation in Texas, said the funding will contribute to “putting a dent in the orphaned wells list and preventing groundwater contamination and methane emissions.”

“We need real policy changes that will prevent orphaned wells from being added to the list in the first place,” she added.