Texas Granted Primacy Over Class VI Wells

AUSTIN – The Railroad Commission of Texas is pleased to announce that Mark Evarts has been named the new director of the Commission’s Oversight and Safety Division.

The division’s core responsibilities are over the RRC’s Alternative Fuels, Gas Services and Pipeline Safety departments, including oversight of more than 400,000 miles of pipelines in Texas, the largest system of pipeline infrastructure in the nation.

Evarts has served in numerous management roles at the Railroad Commission since 2008, most recently as Acting Director of the Oversight and Safety Division. While serving in this role, he has continued to manage the Gas Services Department, which includes the Market Oversight Section and the Gas Utility Audit Section, a role he has been in since 2022. Prior to that, he was the Director of the Market Oversight Section for fourteen years and a Special Projects Director for eleven years.

Under his leadership and with the strengths of his team members, the Gas Services Department and the Market Oversight Section have effectively provided regulatory oversight over and collaborated with 150+ Texas natural gas utilities, encouraging competition, efficiencies and compliance with applicable laws and rules. This took place during a period of high industry growth and in response to several extraordinarily disruptive events to the utility industry, such as Winter Storm Uri, Hurricane Harvey and a major federal income tax rate change. His prior industry experience includes operations management, investment banking and public accounting.

Evarts’ deep industry knowledge and proven leadership will enable him to excel in guiding the Oversight and Safety Division, ensuring the Commission’s mission of safety and accountability across Texas’ energy infrastructure.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College and a Master of Business Administration degree from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.