Texas is now the sixth state to get primary authority over wells meant to store carbon dioxide underground after the EPA published a final rule this week.

On Wednesday, Texas joined Arizona, West Virginia, Louisiana, Wyoming, and North Dakota as states with authority to regulate such wells, which are meant to permanently hold carbon dioxide (CO2) from industry underground instead of entering the atmosphere and warming the climate.

Environmental groups had warned that the state’s oil and gas regulator, the Railroad Commission of Texas, has a poor track record of allowing oil and gas industry pollution and failing to address thousands of abandoned wells across the state.

Dozens of carbon capture projects have been proposed across the country, including in Texas. The industry has been driven by tax breaks included in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, former President Joe Biden’s signature climate law. The technology has faced skepticism and has not yet been proven viable at large scale.

Oil and gas advocates immediately praised the EPA’s decision, with Texas Oil & Gas Association President Todd Staples saying that “Texas is now poised to lead the world in [carbon capture and sequestration].”