LAW 5220 - Energy Law And Regulation

Credit(s): 3
This course is designed to entail broad-based coverage of key aspects of the generation of energy in the United States and how the production, transmission and distribution of energy is managed and regulated in our federal system of government. The course will begin with a focus on the sources and scope of energy law and will then deal with the principle sources of energy generation in forms such as electricity (derived from coal, natural gas, nuclear, and some renewable sources) along with forms of regulation at the federal, state, and local levels. Although dealing with key aspects of the petroleum industry here and abroad, its great importance for industry and all forms of transportation, its history and its structure, the course will not concentrate on this side of our energy profile (given other course offered at the Law School and across the University).The course will, however, cover many aspects of the intersection of energy production and distribution with environmental effects related to, among other topics, clean air and water in addition to nuclear waste product management. Central international topics such as climate change and long-term spent nuclear fuel storage and associated nuclear non-proliferation risks will be addressed as well along with options for managing these risks over the coming decades as world-wide energy demand continues to expand. This course will of necessity delve into a number of issues of public policy where the law is not clear or may be in the process of evolving. Students will be encouraged to participate in class and to explore their thoughts on applying legal principles – be they arising from the many specific statutes applicable to energy or judicial rulings – to the question of how best to manage our energy future in an efficient and balanced fashion.