Texas energy independence is under attack from two directions — foreign cyber saboteurs disabling tankers on the high seas and a political fight over who controls the state's $385 billion oil and gas industry — and the obscure board that decides it all is up for grabs this November.
The Texas Railroad Commission, despite its name, regulates every well, pipeline, and refinery in the state. Commissioner Wayne Christian warned Thursday that Texas's global energy footprint makes its infrastructure "a prime target for foreign adversaries" after two Texas-bound tankers were hit by cyberattacks last month near the Strait of Gibraltar. The VL Prosperity, carrying 2 million barrels of oil, had its communications system disabled for 30 hours. A second tanker carrying liquefied natural gas was also struck.
"When the cost of hesitation exceeds the cost of preparation, common sense says we act now to protect vital energy infrastructure from cyber threats," Christian said. "We must invest, test, monitor and strengthen our defenses now, before adversaries like China or Iran exploit a weakness and disrupt America's energy security."
Initial reports of the Prosperity attack came from an Iranian news outlet, according to CBS News. Foreign Policy Journal reported the sophistication of the attack "points to a well-resourced threat actor with specific knowledge of maritime operational technology systems and their vulnerabilities." The Coast Guard said it is managing communications with port operators and vessel owners to keep operations running.
This spring, the Railroad Commission warned companies under its jurisdiction that their internet-facing devices — including programmable logic controllers — were vulnerable, "potentially causing operational disruption and financial loss." A joint EPA and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency alert noted that some critical infrastructure organizations had already experienced disruptions from manipulated human-machine interface and SCADA systems.
While foreign actors probe for weaknesses, the commission itself faces a leadership shakeup. Republican Bo French and Democrat Jon Rosenthal are running for a seat on the three-member board. The Dallas Morning News reports they have agreed to an Oct. 22 debate at the Dallas Press Club — the first debate in any statewide Texas race this cycle. The catch: early voting starts Oct. 19. Texans will be casting ballots before the candidates take the stage.
French is a rancher, mineral owner, and former energy trader who resigned as Tarrant County GOP chair to run. He defeated incumbent Jim Wright in the May GOP runoff. Rosenthal is an oil field engineer who has served in the state House since 2019 and ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
The Dallas Morning News framed its coverage heavily around French's social media posts about the racial makeup of UT Austin's student section during a football game — posts both Democrats and Republicans condemned. French defended himself, saying he was "shocked" by the backlash and that his remarks echoed similar comments from Trump and GOP leaders. He cast the photo as foreign students taking spots from American citizens; two students pictured told the Dallas Morning News they are U.S. citizens. Europe Says, by contrast, buried the race entirely and focused on the cybersecurity threat — the kind of vulnerability that could send fuel prices spiking and leave ordinary Americans paying the bill.
The question for Texas voters is straightforward: who will protect the infrastructure that keeps the lights on and the pumps running — and who will regulate it into submission?
