The CO2 Alliance and Roland Hollins: When “Fighting Industry” Becomes a Conflict of Interest

Louisiana CO2 Alliance is loudly critical of the oil and gas industry. Its founder and president, Allen Parish Police Jury member Roland Hollins, has called CCS “poison” and claims Louisiana communities are being ignored while corporations profit.

But the Alliance is not just an environmental group. It is a political vehicle, and its leadership raises uncomfortable questions.

Start with the structure: Louisiana CO2 Alliance was chaired by elected officials from multiple parishes, and those parishes contributed public funds through membership fees. In other words, taxpayers helped finance an organization that lobbies state government.

Then there’s the Exxon factor. The Alliance has aggressively targeted ExxonMobil, sending letters urging Congress to repeal the 45Q tax credit used for carbon capture projects. It has also attacked Exxon publicly, claiming the company has “no value for the lives” of Louisiana residents.

But here’s where it gets complicated: Exxon is currently in a lawsuit with the Allen Parish Police Jury over an ordinance regulating carbon capture. Hollins sits on that Police Jury. That means he is not just an activist criticizing Exxon, he is also part of the local governing body directly involved in the dispute.

That overlap creates a serious problem. When public officials are running nonprofits that lobby policy, and simultaneously serving in official roles that influence legal and regulatory outcomes, citizens should demand bright lines.

And Hollins’ public record includes more warning signs. In 1999, he was the subject of an ethics probe over allegations that parish workers spread gravel on private driveways at taxpayer expense. Hollins denied wrongdoing, but the probe itself matters: it signals a long-standing concern about the blurred line between public resources and personal or political benefit.

Louisiana deserves honest debate about CCS. It also deserves leaders who operate transparently and ethically.

If the Louisiana CO2 Alliance wants to claim the moral high ground against “big industry,” it should first prove it isn’t replicating the same power games, just with a different logo.