A veteran oilfield executive says the powerful regulator should be renamed the “Texas Energy Commission” to better reflect its role overseeing oil and gas.
Hawk Dunlap, a Republican candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission, is campaigning on decades of oil and gas experience and a promise to reform the state’s top energy regulator — starting with its name.
Despite its title, the Texas Railroad Commission has nothing to do with railroads. The three-member body regulates the state’s oil and gas industry, including drilling operations, well integrity, pipeline transportation of oil and natural gas, and the plugging of abandoned wells. It also oversees certain aspects of natural gas utilities and surface mining.
Dunlap says the name often confuses voters and obscures the commission’s central role in managing Texas’ energy infrastructure. He is advocating renaming it the “Texas Energy Commission” to better reflect its oversight of drilling, pipelines and production in the nation’s largest oil- and gas-producing state.
“With 30 years of international and domestic oil and gas experience, I understand exactly what this agency is supposed to do — and where it’s falling short,” Dunlap said in campaign materials.
Three decades in the oilfield
Dunlap holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences from Stephen F. Austin State University and has worked across major oil basins worldwide. His experience spans drilling, workover operations, well control, blowout recovery and risk management, both onshore and offshore.
According to his campaign, Dunlap has held senior leadership roles overseeing global operations and well control programs. He has managed well integrity issues, critical interventions and emergency pressure control projects, including high-risk blowouts and oilfield fires in multiple countries.
In public statements, Dunlap says the conditions he has observed in some Texas oilfields are among the worst he has seen in his career, citing thousands of unplugged wells and the risk of groundwater contamination.
“I know how this industry is supposed to work — and it’s not supposed to work like this,” he writes on his campaign website.
Focus on well plugging and environmental safeguards
A central theme of Dunlap’s campaign is addressing abandoned and improperly plugged wells. He argues that more aggressive and technically sound plugging is needed to prevent groundwater contamination, uncontrolled pressure events and so-called “zombie wells” that can reemerge after failed plugs.
Dunlap says his background in well control and blowout recovery gives him the technical expertise to strengthen oversight and enforce stricter standards for well integrity.
He has pledged to prioritize:
More effective plugging of inactive and orphaned wells Stronger enforcement of well control policies Increased accountability within the commission Greater transparency about environmental risks
Dunlap frames his candidacy as a call for reform inside an agency he believes has been too closely aligned with industry interests and insufficiently responsive to communities affected by oilfield contamination.
A powerful but often misunderstood agency
The Texas Railroad Commission was created in the 19th century to regulate railroads. Over time, its authority shifted almost entirely to oil and gas. Today, it plays a central role in regulating drilling permits, overseeing pipeline safety, managing flaring and monitoring well plugging.
The name, however, remains unchanged — a historical artifact that Dunlap says contributes to public misunderstanding of the agency’s reach and responsibilities.
“It’s time for clarity,” he said. “If we regulate energy, we should say so.”
As the campaign for Railroad Commissioner unfolds, Dunlap is positioning himself as a technically experienced industry insider who says he can bring stronger safety standards and environmental accountability to one of Texas’ most influential regulatory bodies.
