The Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) has named Gilbert Herrera as critical infrastructure division (CID) director of administrative compliance. Previously serving as the director of field operations with the CID, Herrera has extensive experience with the Texas natural gas infrastructure.
In his new role, he will focus on strengthening oversight of the natural gas supply chain, ensuring compliance with critical infrastructure designations and other regulatory requirements, overseeing emergency operations plans and improving the accuracy and reliability of data used to evaluate critical natural gas infrastructure.
Since the division’s formation in response to 2021’s Winter Storm Uri, Herrera has played a vital role in developing the CID, helping establish the processes, procedures, training, and operational frameworks necessary for its success. His work helps prepare Texas’s critical natural gas infrastructure for extreme weather by developing an inspection program, coordinating with industry and other stakeholders, and identifying vulnerabilities that could affect the reliability of the natural gas supply.
Joining the RRC in 2018, Herrera has held several leadership and engineering positions, including regional director, where he established and led a new regional division responsible for field inspections and regulatory compliance within the critical Infrastructure Division.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma and has completed executive and managerial leadership programs at the Texas McCombs School of Business.
The RRC is the state agency with primary regulatory jurisdiction over the oil and natural gas industry, pipeline transporters, natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline industry, natural gas utilities, the LP-gas industry, critical natural gas infrastructure, and coal and uranium surface mining operations. The RRC exists under provisions of the Texas Constitution and exercises its statutory responsibilities under state and federal laws for regulation and enforcement of the state’s energy industries.
