LAW 5220 - Energy Law And Regulation

Credit(s): 3
This course is designed to provide broad-based coverage of energy production, consumption, and regulation in the United States, with a focus on legal and policy issues. As a foundation, the class will identify the sources of the energy used in the U.S. for various purposes, such as heating and cooling, operation of appliances and machinery, transportation, and the generation of electricity. The course will move on to explore such topics as the law of public utilities, including the ratemaking concepts that remain important in the context of the electric power industry. It may explore the movement toward competition in wholesale electricity markets, and issues relating to the nation’s electric power grid. The course also may cover the regulation of natural gas pipelines and natural gas markets. In addition, the course may examine major sources of electric power generation, such as coal, nuclear, hydropower, and renewables, as well as regulatory and policy issues relating to these and other sources of power generation, such as natural gas. Such policy issues include balancing energy reliability and affordability with environmental protection.