page_title: United States energy law
section_title: Texas law
hierarchical_section_title: United States energy law / State laws / Texas law
caption_attribution_description: English: Annual Texas crude oil production from 1935 to 2012, based on data from the Texas Railroad Commission website: http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/data/production/oilwellcounts.php
context_page_description: United States energy law is a function of the federal government, states, and local governments. At the federal level, it is regulated extensively through the United States Department of Energy.
  Every state, the Federal government, and the District of Columbia collect some motor vehicle excise taxes. Specifically, these are excise taxes on gasoline, diesel fuel, and gasohol. While many western states rely a great deal on severance taxes on oil, gas, and mineral production for revenue, most states get a relatively small amount of their revenue from such sources.
  The practice of energy law has been the domain of law firms working on behalf of utility companies, rather than legal scholars or other legal actors, especially in Texas, but this is changing. Some officials from energy agencies may take jobs in the utilities or other companies they regulate, such as the former FERC chairman did in 2008.
  The American Bar Association has a Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, which is a "forum for lawyers working in areas related to environmental law, natural resources law, and energy law."
context_section_description: Oil, gas, and other energy resources are regulated by the powerful Texas Railroad Commission.  It is the oldest regulatory agency in Texas, having been created in 1891.  It "oversee[s] the Texas oil and gas industry, gas utilities, pipeline safety, safety in the liquefied petroleum gas industry, and the surface mining of coal."
  According to Forbes, the University of Houston has an "exceptional" energy policy and law program.
caption: Texas oil production curve
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