In the Republican primary for railroad commissioner, here’s our recommendation – The Dallas Morning News

Ryan Sitton, a smart, reliable conservative and pro-energy voice on the three-person Railroad Commission of Texas, gets our nod over rancher James Jim Wright.

Sittons tenure has been a mixed bag. While he has been a persuasive proponent of the Texas energy economy at conferences, he also has cast votes and taken positions that perpetuate the lingering narrative that he and fellow railroad commissioners are too close to the industry they regulate.

There is both truth and hyperbole in that statement since the commission has the dual responsibilities to promote and regulate oil and gas operations in Texas.

That said, we share concerns that Sitton, who was elected to the commission in 2014, sometimes is too close to the oil and gas industry he grew up in and now regulates. Sitton, 45, was slow to acknowledge the scientific evidence that linked seismic activity with wastewater disposal wells. More recently, he drew scrutiny when he voted to exempt a company from state rules limiting flaring, a controlled burning of natural gas at the well site.

What makes the flaring vote so eye-catching is that flaring is wasteful and releases pollutants into the atmosphere. Its also true that energy producers abuse the practice to dispose of unwanted gas when pipelines are available to transport the gas.

Sitton also gave us pause when he answered in our Voter Guide that there are no negative environmental impacts of drilling for natural gas. He is right when he notes that natural gas production has allowed Texas and the United States to retire dirty coal plants, a net plus. However, all forms of energy production have upsides and downsides, and Sittons assertion doesnt seem to adequately acknowledge the negatives.

Wright is thoughtful, shares our concerns about flaring and seismicity, and wants to increase transparency at the commission. He said he would create a business and citizen roundtable to provide input to the commission. However, he isnt a viable candidate. He did not complete our Voter Guide questionnaire and his campaign lacks a meaningful website or social media presence.

Overall, the commission needs to adapt to the increasing complex challenges of regulating energy resources to address a broad range of issues including the impact on urban and rural areas, concerns about water use in energy production and seismic activity.

Sitton is the better choice in this primary and would be a better commissioner if he struck a better balance between his dual responsibilities as energy regulator and energy promoter.

Ready to vote?

Part of a series of Dallas Morning News recommendations in the March 3 primary election.

Early voting starts: Feb. 18

Election Day: March 3

For more information:

Collin County 1-800-687-8546 https://www.collincountytx.gov/elections

Dallas County 214-819-6300 https://www.dallascountyvotes.org/

Denton County 940-349-3200 https://www.votedenton.com/

Ellis County 972-825-5195 http://co.ellis.tx.us/312/Elections

Kaufman County 972-932-0298 https://www.kaufmancounty.net/elections

Rockwall County 972-204-6200 https://www.rockwallvotes.com/

Tarrant County 817-831-8683 http://access.tarrantcounty.com/en/elections.html

For more help, including how to check your registration status, contact the Texas secretary of state at 1-800-252-8683 or visit https://www.votetexas.gov/

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In the Republican primary for railroad commissioner, here's our recommendation - The Dallas Morning News