LAW 545LEC - Energy & Environmental Law

Energy laws and policies are rapidly evolving in response to pressing questions that intersect various fields, including climate change, social justice, and environmental sustainability. This course covers laws and policies in the United States governing the extraction, delivery, consumption, and conservation of energy resources. The first portion of the course covers major themes in the existing energy landscape– the role of fossil fuels, nuclear energy policy, utility regulation, and factors driving the transition to clean energy resources. The second portion of the course focuses on renewable energy resources such as sunlight and wind. This part covers federal and state statutes, cases, regulations, regulatory agencies, and other mechanisms that allocate interests in renewable energy resources and regulate energy production and delivery. We will identify and analyze critical questions concerning property and land use issues relating to wind and solar energy development, energy storage technologies, and policies that promote energy efficiency, economic growth, equity, and environmental justice.

Credits: 3