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Articles 1 - 26 of 26
Full-Text Articles in Law
Reconsidering Regulatory Uncertainty: Making A Case For Energy Storage, Amy L. Stein
Reconsidering Regulatory Uncertainty: Making A Case For Energy Storage, Amy L. Stein
Amy L. Stein
This Article begins the complex dialogue that must take place to address the emerging technologies providing energy storage for our electricity grid. Energy storage has the capacity to be a game-changer for many facets of our grid, providing better integration of renewable energy, enhanced reliability, and reduced use of carbon-intensive fuels. Energy storage faces a number of obstacles, however, including technological, financial, and regulatory uncertainty. This Article focuses on the regulatory uncertainty, and defends the proposition that not all regulatory uncertainty is created equal. It argues for differential treatment of this uncertainty, depending on its context, scope, and source, and …
The Tipping Point Of Federalism, Amy L. Stein
The Tipping Point Of Federalism, Amy L. Stein
Amy L. Stein
As the Supreme Court has noted, “it is difficult to conceive of a more basic element of interstate commerce than electric energy, a product that is used in virtually every home and every commercial or manufacturing facility. No state relies solely on its own resources in this respect.” And yet, the resources used to generate this electricity (e.g., coal, natural gas, or renewables) are determined largely by state and local authorities through their exclusive authority to determine whether to approve construction of a new electricity generation facility. As the nation finds itself faced with important decisions that directly implicate the …
Renewable Energy Through Agency Action, Amy L. Stein
Renewable Energy Through Agency Action, Amy L. Stein
Amy L. Stein
Despite the many societal benefits associated with renewable energy, it is used to generate only about 5 percent of our nation's electricity needs. The bulk of governmental efforts to rectify this situation have disproportionately impacted private actors. This Article argues that the federal government should expand its efforts to more fully capture the gains that can be achieved by targeting both private and public actors, particularly federal agencies. Federal agencies have enormous purchasing power that can be channeled toward using electricity and fuels derived from renewable energy. Federal agencies are some of the largest consumers of electricity. Federal agencies manage …
Beyond Yucca Mountain: Split Liability Drives Action For Interim Nuclear Waste Storage, Amy L. Stein
Beyond Yucca Mountain: Split Liability Drives Action For Interim Nuclear Waste Storage, Amy L. Stein
Amy L. Stein
After fifteen years and six billion dollars, the United States still lacks a viable long-term solution to the mounting levels of high-level nuclear waste scattered across the nation in 68 sites. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (“NWPA”) and its 1987 Amendments have driven regulators to approve Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for burial of the 37,000 metric tons of nuclear waste in need of a final resting place. In the NWPA, Congress set January 31, 1998 as the deadline by which the Department of Energy (“DOE”) was to dispose of the utilities' nuclear waste. However, litigation challenges, scientific uncertainty, and …
Federalism And The Rise Of Renewable Energy: Preserving State And Local Voices In The Green Energy Revolution, Daniel Lyons
Federalism And The Rise Of Renewable Energy: Preserving State And Local Voices In The Green Energy Revolution, Daniel Lyons
Daniel Lyons
The rise of renewable energy has disrupted the traditional regulatory structure governing electricity. Unlike traditional fossil fuel power plants, wind and solar facilities are geographically constrained: they exist where the wind blows and the sun shines. Large-scale renewable energy is more likely to flow interstate, from resource-rich prairie and Southwestern states to energy-hungry population centers elsewhere. The difficulties of coordinating interstate electricity policies have led some to call for greater preemption of the states’ traditional duties as chief regulators of the electricity industry. But while preemption would eliminate some state-level roadblocks to interstate cooperation, it would sacrifice many of the …
Regulating Pot To Save The Polar Bear: Energy And Climate Impacts Of The Marijuana Industry, Gina Warren
Regulating Pot To Save The Polar Bear: Energy And Climate Impacts Of The Marijuana Industry, Gina Warren
Gina Warren
No abstract provided.
Applying Administrative Law Principles To Hydraulic Fracturing, Joel M. Pratt
Applying Administrative Law Principles To Hydraulic Fracturing, Joel M. Pratt
Joel M Pratt
Because fracking regulators and industry need both legal clarity and the ability to react to new information, courts should apply principles of administrative deference to resolve conflicts between state and local fracking regulations.Under these principles, courts weigh expert agency decision making more heavily when the agency has acted reasonably. When faced with a conflict between state and local fracking laws, courts should adopt administrative principles and privilege expert agency regulations rather than engage in an independent judicial inquiry. Part I provides background on fracking and argues that states are in the best position to regulate the practice. Part II then …
Regulating Pot To Save The Polar Bear: Energy And Climate Impacts Of The Marijuana Industry, Gina Warren
Regulating Pot To Save The Polar Bear: Energy And Climate Impacts Of The Marijuana Industry, Gina Warren
Gina Warren
No abstract provided.
Oil & Gas Pooling, Gina Warren
Dynamic Federalism And Wind Farm Siting, Brendan Burke
Dynamic Federalism And Wind Farm Siting, Brendan Burke
Brendan Burke
An “all-of-the-above” energy policy has led to the emergence of wind power as an energy resource of choice. But despite their considerable environmental and economic advantages, wind energy systems do have drawbacks. Among these, the mechanical and electromagnetic properties of wind turbines encroach on U.S. Department of Defense (“DoD”) military installations and activities. These encroachment concerns, including interference with air traffic control and other radar systems, create tension between national security and the development of renewable energy sources. Because utility siting decisions are made at the state and local level, the federal government’s ability to guard against encroachment by wind …
Sustaining An Unsustainable Fuel Source: How Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Limitations Can Improve The Sustainability Of The Tar Oil Industry, Brittany Debord
Sustaining An Unsustainable Fuel Source: How Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Limitations Can Improve The Sustainability Of The Tar Oil Industry, Brittany Debord
Brittany DeBord
The United States seeks to achieve energy security and self-sufficiency by acquiring energy from Canadian tar sands and promoting a domestic tar sands industry. However, support for this industry is inconsistent with the greenhouse gas reduction policies of the Energy Independence and Security Act and the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, since tar oil extraction creates three times more carbon emissions than conventional oil extraction. Legislation limiting lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions has already been implemented through the Renewable Fuel Standard Program in response to concerns that plant-based fuel production leads to greater carbon emissions than intended. Since the lifecycle …
"Solar Reits": A New Tax Paradigm For Renewable Energy Financing, Richard A. Grisel
"Solar Reits": A New Tax Paradigm For Renewable Energy Financing, Richard A. Grisel
Richard A Grisel
The demand for renewable energy has never been higher. Regrettably, however, current financing methods and administrative programs have been inadequate to produce the necessary and sufficient market conditions to meet this demand.
One key to accessing lower cost capital—which in turn will help fill ever-increasing demand for renewable energy—is to move away from reliance on tax credits and tax equity financing models and attract a broader investor pool. Real estate investment trusts (REITs) have historically been a proven, effective capital-raising vehicle for various capital-intensive projects, such as buildings, transmission lines, and communication towers. Essentially, REITs are financial vehicles that allow …
Drones, Henry H. Perritt Jr., Eliot O. Sprague
Drones, Henry H. Perritt Jr., Eliot O. Sprague
Henry H. Perritt, Jr.
A Response To The Major Arguments Against Shale Gas Development Using Hydraulic Fracturing, Monika Ehrman
A Response To The Major Arguments Against Shale Gas Development Using Hydraulic Fracturing, Monika Ehrman
Monika U. Ehrman
No abstract provided.
Regulation Of Greenhouse Gases And Other Air Pollutants In The First Obama Administration And Major Air Issues For The Second Term, Patricia Mccubbin
Regulation Of Greenhouse Gases And Other Air Pollutants In The First Obama Administration And Major Air Issues For The Second Term, Patricia Mccubbin
Patricia Ross McCubbin
President Barack Obama has made addressing climate change the centerpiece of his environmental policy. Most recently, on June 25, 2013, the President gave a groundbreaking speech detailing the steps his administration will take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the United States. Of great controversy, the President directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to limit emissions of greenhouse gases from both new and existing power plants, which represent 40% of total U.S. carbon emissions. The President’s call to action – in his June 2013 speech and throughout his first term – stands in stark contrast to Congress’s inability to …
The New Look Of Sustainable Energy, Gina Warren
Sustainability Criteria As A Tool To Promote Sustainable Products And Their Sustainable Production, Evgenia Pavlovskaia
Sustainability Criteria As A Tool To Promote Sustainable Products And Their Sustainable Production, Evgenia Pavlovskaia
Evgenia Pavlovskaia
Coming publication
Summary:
Among the environmental challenges, which humanity is facing today, there are the threat of global climate change, unsatisfactory air quality, – especially in large cities, – and the fact that the resources of fossil fuels are finite. Biofuels have long been at the top of the political and scientific agenda as a possible solution to all the three challenges.
Not everything is clear about biofuels. The production costs of biofuels are still higher than those of traditional fossil fuels: without subsidies biofuels are not competitive. The environmental impact of biofuels has also been questioned, for example the …
Analysis Of The Mechanisms To Control The Fulfillment Of The Eu Sustainability Criteria For Biofuels In Directive 2009/28/Ec, (Part Ii), Evgenia Pavlovskaia
Analysis Of The Mechanisms To Control The Fulfillment Of The Eu Sustainability Criteria For Biofuels In Directive 2009/28/Ec, (Part Ii), Evgenia Pavlovskaia
Evgenia Pavlovskaia
The article analyzes mechanisms established to control the fulfillment of the EU sustainability criteria for biofuels that were presented in Directive 2009/28/EC. The article is the continuation of the research started in the work Pavlovskaia, E. (2013) “Controlling the Fulfillment of the EU Sustainability Criteria for Transport Biofuels”, which was published in RELP 4/2013. The conducted analysis is grounded in the opinions of the leading researchers in the environmental energy studies. The results of the article highlight that there are difficulties to achieve the desirable quality of control when the EU sustainability criteria are implemented. It is pointed out that …
Mechanisms To Control The Fulfillment Of The Eu Sustainability Criteria For Transport Biofuels In Directive 2009/28/Ec, Evgenia Pavlovskaia
Mechanisms To Control The Fulfillment Of The Eu Sustainability Criteria For Transport Biofuels In Directive 2009/28/Ec, Evgenia Pavlovskaia
Evgenia Pavlovskaia
To function efficiently, a framework in environmental law should contain certain mechanisms or supplementary elements that facilitate the implementation and enforcement of environmental regulations, for example such mechanisms and elements that answer for the control and supervision of the legislated requirements. Appropriately organized control mechanisms are important for a legal framework to function as it has been aimed for and to fulfill its purposes. The present article is focused on the analysis of the mechanisms chosen to control the fulfillment of the European Union (EU) sustainability criteria for transport biofuels, which have been presented in Directive 2009/28/EC. The analysis is …
The Next Great Compromise: A Comprehensive Response To Opposition Against Shale Gas Development Using Hydraulic Fracturing In The United States, Monika Ehrman
Monika U. Ehrman
Lights Out In The Bakken: An Analysis Of Flaring Regulation And Its Potential Effect On North Dakota Shale Oil Production
Monika U. Ehrman
Legal Analysis Of The Eu Policy For Sustainable Transport Biofuels, Evgenia Pavlovskaia
Legal Analysis Of The Eu Policy For Sustainable Transport Biofuels, Evgenia Pavlovskaia
Evgenia Pavlovskaia
Warnings about limited oil resources, as well as the necessity to reduce GHG emissions and secure energy supply1 have become prioritized issues on the EU agenda. It has been suggested to partially replace traditional fossil fuels with other sources of renewable energy, for example with biofuels in the transport sector. This has been seen as a promising solution for complications connected with the extraction and supply of oil, as well as for the reduction of GHG emissions. It has also become understandable that the quality of biofuels and their production methods need to be sustainable. The material, from which biofuels …
Carbon Capture And The Information Quality Act, Brendan Burke
Carbon Capture And The Information Quality Act, Brendan Burke
Brendan Burke
In January 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed new source performance standard (NSPS) under the Clean Air Act for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new or modified electric utility plants that will effectively require implementation of a process known as carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). The new rule would limit CO2, a previously unregulated greenhouse gas emission, from such generation facilities to a rate of 1,100 pounds per megawatt-hour. Energy producers, especially those employing coal-fired plants, are strongly opposed to these limits. In February 2014, the Center for Regulatory Effectiveness sent a letter to the EPA …
Behavioral Approaches To Environmental Policy Analysis: A Case Study Of Offshore Wind Energy In The North American Great Lakes, Erik Edward Nordman
Behavioral Approaches To Environmental Policy Analysis: A Case Study Of Offshore Wind Energy In The North American Great Lakes, Erik Edward Nordman
Erik Edward Nordman
Behavioral economics, including prospect theory, offers new approaches to environmental policy analysis. The utility of behavioral approaches to environmental policy analysis is illustrated using a case study of offshore wind energy policy in Michigan, USA. Michigan has attempted to clarify the permitting process for offshore wind energy but those efforts have failed. Prospect theory suggests that Michigan legislators are, for the most part, risk averse to policy reforms as the state emerges from its “one-state recession” and into a gains domain. Legislators from some coastal districts perceive offshore wind development as a threat to coastal quality of life, are risk-seeking …
Risk Tradeoff Analysis, Public Opinion And Nuclear Safety: A Spanish Case Study, Xiao Recio-Blanco
Risk Tradeoff Analysis, Public Opinion And Nuclear Safety: A Spanish Case Study, Xiao Recio-Blanco
Xiao Recio-Blanco
The 2011 nuclear accident at Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant opened a heated worldwide debate over nuclear energy. Unfortunately, neither the previous nor current Spanish governments have publicized the evidence used to evaluate the merits of extending the lifespan of Spain’s own Garoña plant. This article uses the Garoña case for a twofold purpose. First, the article analyzes the accountability of Spain’s executive power decisions on potentially catastrophic industrial activities. The paper finds that the lack of appropriate information disclosure duties in Spain may allow the government to abuse its discretion on actions potentially damaging to human health and the environment. …
Public Lands And The Federal Government’S Compact-Based “Duty To Dispose”: A Case Study Of Utah’S H.B. 148 – The Transfer Of Public Lands Act, Donald J. Kochan
Public Lands And The Federal Government’S Compact-Based “Duty To Dispose”: A Case Study Of Utah’S H.B. 148 – The Transfer Of Public Lands Act, Donald J. Kochan
Donald J. Kochan
Recent legislation passed in March 2012 in the State of Utah — the “Transfer of Public Lands Act and Related Study,” (“TPLA”) also commonly referred to as House Bill 148 (“H.B. 148”) — has demanded that the federal government, by December 31, 2014, “extinguish title” to certain public lands that the federal government currently holds (totaling an estimated more than 20 million acres). It also calls for the transfer of such acreage to the State and establishes procedures for the development of a management regime for this increased state portfolio of land holdings resulting from the transfer. The State of …