Energy and Utilities Law Commons^™

Gridlock On The Road To Renewable Energy Development: A Discussion About The Opportunities & Risks Presented By The Modernization Requirements Of The Electricity Transmission Network, Kelsey Jae Nunez

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

In November 2006, the American Council On Renewable Energy (“ACORE”), along with the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucuses of the United States Senate and House of Representatives, convened the national policy conference, “Renewable Energy in America: Phase II Market Forecasts and Policy Requirements” (“Phase II”). Several speakers at Phase II argued that continued private sector financing of renewable energy projects will substantially depend on the expansion of the electrical transmission network. The argument follows this logic: developing renewable energy to the point that it can power America's growing energy needs will require substantial investment from private sector investors. These …

Nuclear Power 2021 Act (S. 512), G. Graham Thompson, Kyle Hosmer

Washington and Lee Journal of Energy, Climate, and the Environment

No abstract provided.

Masthead & Front Matter

Washington and Lee Journal of Energy, Climate, and the Environment

No abstract provided.

Carrots And Sticks, From President Obama’S Solyndra And Beyond, Paul Boudreaux

Washington and Lee Journal of Energy, Climate, and the Environment

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

Washington and Lee Journal of Energy, Climate, and the Environment

No abstract provided.

Chevron Corporation V. Donziger, 768 F. Supp. 2d 581 (S.D.N.Y. 2011), Anaeli C. Sandoval

Washington and Lee Journal of Energy, Climate, and the Environment

No abstract provided.

National Electrical Manufacturers Association V. United States Department Of Energy, 654 F.3d 496 (4th Cir. 2011), Emily C. Walters

Washington and Lee Journal of Energy, Climate, and the Environment

No abstract provided.

Developing And Diffusing Green Technologies: The Impact Of Intellectual Property Rights And Their Justification, Jonathan M.W.W. Chu

Washington and Lee Journal of Energy, Climate, and the Environment

No abstract provided.

Creating Regional Environmental Governance Regimes: Implications Of Southeast Asian Responses To Transboundary Haze Pollution, Roda Mushkat

Washington and Lee Journal of Energy, Climate, and the Environment

No abstract provided.

American Electric Power V. Connecticut, 131 S. Ct. 2527 (2011), Sarah E. Rust

Washington and Lee Journal of Energy, Climate, and the Environment

No abstract provided.

Our Generation's Sputnik Moment: Regulating Energy Innovation, Joseph P. Tomain

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

In his 2011 State of the Union Address, President Obama stressed the necessity of innovation as the key to unlocking our economic future. More pointedly, he stated that now is "our generation's Sputnik moment." Just as the United States responded to national security threats posed by a cold war Russia, today we must respond to threats to our economy and our environment, as well as to our national security, posed by an oil addiction that we have not been able to break for over half a century. The intertwined needs to provide sufficient energy, environmental protection, and a vibrant economy …

Enhancing The Investor Appeal Of Renewable Energy, Felix Mormann

Articles

This Article introduces an investor-orented framework for the evaluation of renewable energy policy, applies these newly developed critea to a qualitative comparison of the primary policy instruments, and offers recommendations to enhance the investor appeal of renewable energy in the United States.

The multi-trillion dollar task of scaling-up renewable energy technologies to mitigate climate change, ensure energy security, and create green jobs is one of the most daunting challenges of the twenty-first century It is, in fact, too great a challenge for either the public or private sector to shoulder alone. Rather, public policy must catalyze private investment in renewable …

Blowing Hot Air: An Analysis Of State Involvement In Greenhouse Gas Litigation, Caroline Cecot

Vanderbilt Law Review

In Massachusetts v. EPA (2007), the U.S. Supreme Court interpreted the Clean Air Act ("CAA") to require the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") to regulate greenhouse gas emissions1 from motor vehicles if the EPA Administrator finds that the emissions endanger public health and welfare ("Endangerment Finding"). In December 2009, the Administrator made such an Endangerment Finding, obligating the EPA to work with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA") to develop average fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards for new light-duty vehicles. After issuing proposals and reviewing comments from the public, the two agencies announced their groundbreaking final regulation ("Tailpipe …

Energy Subsidies, Market Distortion, And A Free Market Alternative, Hans Biebl

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform Caveat

Gas and coal are cheap. They are cheap because the U.S. government subsidizes their production. The result is that the marketplace does not recognize the true cost of fossil fuels. Without the subsidies, Americans—for the first time in nearly a hundred years—would experience the cost of unsubsidized fossil fuels. In a newly competitive marketplace, renewable sources of energy would be in a better position to compete. Without gas and coal subsidies, clean energy producers, who have not been able to compete with the low price of fossil fuels, might be more willing to invest in “clean, renewable, and more energy …

Holding Our Breath: Waiting For The Federal Government To Recognize Coal Ash As A Hazardous Waste, 45 J. Marshall L. Rev. 1177 (2012), Blake Korb

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Law Of The Sea And Lng: Cross-Border Law And Politics Over Head Harbor Passage, The, James Kraska

Canada-United States Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Cooperative Federalism And Hydraulic Fracturing: A Human Right To A Clean Environment, Elizabeth Burleson

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

United States natural gas production is likely to stunt the direction and intensity of renewable energy by up to two decades according to a MIT study. Gas will not provide a “’bridge’ to a low-carbon future if it erodes efforts to prepare a landing at the other end of the bridge.” Unconventional natural gas extraction need not become a “transition” to a new addiction. This article analyzes how cooperative federalism and inclusive decision-making can provide legitimacy and transparency when balancing property rights versus police powers to regulate natural gas production.

Hydrofracking: Disturbances Both Geological And Political: Who Decides?, John R. Nolon

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

There is much controversy about the mining of shale gas through a process known as hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) in the Marcellus Shale formation, one of the largest shale gas areas in the world. A debate is raging about its economic benefits and environmental impacts as the New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) considers what standards to require when it issues permits to drillers. New York State law gives permitting authority to DEC and calls into question the historical home rule authority of localities to control the location and land use impacts of gas wells, through comprehensive planning, zoning, …

The Evolution Of The Brazilian Regulation Of Ethanol And Possible Lessons For The United States, David N. Cassuto

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

The oil shocks of the 1970s propelled the search for alternative fuel sources by oil-dependent countries. The United States and Brazil–then the two largest producers and consumers of ethanol in the world – focused intensely on biofuels as a substitute for oil, while other countries – such as Japan and European Union members – focused more on nuclear energy and other methods of power generation. However, from the 1980s onward, climate change emerged as a significant concern. This new focus on climate change revived the discussion about the need for alternative energy sources. In addition, during the 2000s, oil prices …

Tribal Energy Development: Renewables And The Problem Of The Current Statutory Structures, Judith Royster

Articles, Chapters in Books and Other Contributions to Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Implementation Of The Arizona Water Settlement Act In New Mexico: An Overview Of Legal Considerations, Adrian Oglesby

Natural Resources Journal

No abstract provided.

Building- Related Renewable Energy And The Case Of 360 State Street, Sara Bronin

Faculty Articles and Papers

This Article argues that a well-conceived policy approach to building-related renewable energy (“BRRE”) — that is, renewable energy incorporated into inhabited structures and used by those structures’ occupants — could transform the way we produce and consume energy by maximizing efficiency while simultaneously minimizing energy sprawl. The vast majority of Americans favor renewable energy, at least in concept. Yet private property owners still face significant obstacles in trying to incorporate renewable energy into their projects. This Article analyzes barriers faced by the project team for 360 State Street, an award-winning, mixed-use LEED® Platinum building in downtown New Haven, Connecticut. Among …

Preventing Atoms For Peace From Becoming Atoms Of Terror: The National Environmental Policy Act Is Not A Vehicle For Addressing Terrorism, David D. Leege

Catholic University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Distributed Energy Resources, "Virtual Power Plants," And The Smart Grid, Joel B. Eisen

Law Faculty Publications

The specific focus of this Article is on the "virtual power plant" (VPP) concept, an intriguing idea that involves an aggregation of DERs to provide a "fleet" of resources that can serve as the functional equivalent of a traditional power plant. As the name suggests, this fleet of DERs can add up in the aggregate to the equivalent of a significant resource. Under certain conditions, this resource can be used on the grid (i.e., dispatched) much as a conventional power plant would be. This could reduce demand for fossil fuel-fired plants by enabling a utility to avoid generating electricity or …

Threading The Constitutional Needle With Care: The Commerce Clause Threat To The New Infrastructure Of Renewable Power, Steven Ferrey

Suffolk University Law School Faculty Works

To date, the federal initiatives for renewable energy primarily focus on tax incentives and credits. State incentives comprise most of the other renewable energy incentives. Chief among these are Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPSs), feed-in tariffs, net metering, and system benefit charges/trust funds (SBCs). Government lacks the power to do anything it chooses. And this is especially true with the current state policy to build a new power infrastructure. The new energy infrastructure is all about renewable energy. Both SBC and RPS programs raise revenue by a charge reflecting the amount of power produced or transacted, and then distribute that revenue …

Can Vermont Put The Nuclear Genie Back In The Bottle: A Test Of Congressional Preemptive Power?, Hope M. Babcock

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Even before the nuclear core meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors in Japan re-stoked public anxiety about nuclear energy, Vermont’s Senate, under the auspices of Vermont Act No. 160, voted to block continued operation of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant after the expiration of its forty-year operating license. This article examines whether a state can legislatively override a permit issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission extending the license of a power plant. The author places this question within a broader federalism context, in which states assert their sovereign rights to regulate the environment in the shadow of federal mandates. …

Faculty

LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources

No abstract provided.

The Landsafe Socioecological Development Model For The Customary Commons Of Zambia: Evolution And Formalization, I.P.A. Manning

Natural Resources Journal

No abstract provided.

Becoming Positive About Being Carbon Neutral:Requiring Public Accountability Forinternet Companies, Alexandra L. Pichette

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Every year, worldwide dependence on Internet and other information technology services grows. In many ways, the increased use of electric energy is positive for the environment; after all, using the Internet to access a document uses less energy than printing and distributing that document. Nonetheless, Internet companies expend a great deal of energy when they, for example, fire up their servers to satisfy a search request. Studies show that Internet companies are disproportionately large energy consumers, and are responsible for a growing number of carbon emissions. As a result, environmentalists are becoming concerned about the effects of these emissions on …

Enforcing The Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime: The Legality Of Preventive Measures, Cristian Defrancia

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Efforts to limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons and nuclear-weapons-related technology have increasingly involved economic, technological, and military forms of coercion implemented in an environment of low-level conflict. Coercive counterproliferation measures have included a range of actions, including targeted economic sanctions, industrial sabotage, cyber attacks, targeted killings, and military strikes. While the nonproliferation obligations of states are well-established under relevant treaties, state practice, and the international monitoring system of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), norms relating to the enforcement of those obligations are not clearly defined in legal instruments. This Article reviews the legality of prevention and enforcement measures …