Energy and Utilities Law Commons^™

Community-Scale Renewable Energy, Hannah J. Wiseman, Sara C. Bronin

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

As the movement toward cleaner energy has gained momentum within the United States, a growing number of scholars and policymakers have made the case for community-scale renewable energy: mid-sized energy sources supported by resources pooled from several private parties in close geographic proximity. When built and utilized at the community level, these energy facilities may allow for economies of scale that their owners could not achieve working individually. Individual distributed generation, such as solar infrastructure on the roofs of homes, involves high transaction costs and creates relatively small impacts. At the same time, community-scale renewable energy has advantages over large-scale …

Community-Scale Renewable Energy, Hannah J. Wiseman, Sara C. Bronin

Scholarly Publications

No abstract provided.

Engines Of Change: China's Rise And The Chinese Auto Industry, Huston Middlesworth

CMC Senior Theses

The following thesis outlines the Chinese government's push for new-energy vehicles within their auto industry. By giving a history of the Chinese automotive industry and the central planning devices used to push the industry forward, we should develop a more refined understanding as to the direction of China' auto industry in the future.

Paving The Road Ahead: Autonomous Vehicles, Products Liability, And The Need For A New Approach, Kevin Funkhouser

Utah Law Review

Cars that drive themselves may seem about as realistic as Marty McFly’s DeLorean in Back to the Future, but this is far from the case. Autonomous technology is available and in use in many new vehicle models. In fact, in 2010 Google announced that the company had successfully built cars capable of driving themselves (“autonomous cars”). Even more amazing, at its 2010 announcement, Google also revealed its driverless cars (customized Toyota Prius models) had logged over 100,000 miles on public roads. As of early 2013, Google’s several autonomous vehicles have traveled over 300,000 miles, and have yet to cause a …

Energy Security, Green Fleets, And Green Warriors, Jennifer Huang

Florida A & M University Law Review

The U.S. military, both our nation's largest consumer and securer of energy, can no longer be absolved of the high costs and environmental consequences of its reliance on conventional fuel sources and energy systems in the face of mounting evidence of unavoidable global warming and climate change. The oil-dependent U.S. national and energy security policies that have helped achieved American military and economic greatness are no longer sustainable; in fact, uncovering the hidden costs of our oil addiction reveals many insecurities. In order to progress towards true energy independence, the U.S. must overcome its congressional in-fighting, and kick-start its promising …

Electric Municipalization In The City Of Boulder: Successful Greening Or Path To Bankruptcy?, Kathryn C. Browning

CMC Senior Theses

Climate change will result in variable – but undeniably severe – changes to our natural world. These changes will lead to extreme human and ecosystem consequences if climate change is not mitigated effectively, efficiently, and rapidly. Increasing the use of renewable energies around the world is seen as one of the most effective and promising mitigation strategies. Several communities around the United States have recently denounced publicly their electrical utilities for their failure to offer the choice to increase the percentage of energy that comes from renewable sources. A growing number are taking action to work with – or sometimes …

State Wars - The Empire Strikes Back: The Federal/State Constitutional Power Confrontation, Steven Ferrey

Suffolk University Law School Faculty Works

A significant pending case will carve the contours of United States constitutional governance for the nation regarding our most important technology and its implementation and "will probably be determined by the U.S. Supreme Court.... 'These are the kind of issues that the Supreme Court likes. It's a federal preemption case; it's a landmark case.' " The attorney general concurs that he would "be surprised" if the case if not destined for the Supreme Court. This matter defines Constitutional federalism and the application of two important clauses of the United States Constitution: - The Constitution's Supremacy Clause, with specific application of …

The Future Of Energy: The European And American Approaches -- The American Approach, Gina S. Warren

Faculty Scholarship

Presentation by Professor Gina S. Warren in which she provides an idea of the energy mix in the United States, where energy comes from, and what it is used for. Professor Warren then discusses U.S. energy policy and climate change proposals. She also covers numbers and indicators from an April 17, 2013 U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) report outlining projections in energy through 2040.

Missouri Oil And Gas Update, Nadia B. Ahmad

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

The State of Missouri has untapped potential for the development of oil and natural gas resources. While the Missouri courts were quiet this past year on interpreting oil and gas rules and regulations, the legislature was active in amending laws governing storage tanks. The state has experienced a tremendous upsurge in oil and gas production in the past two fiscal years. Missouri is poised to ramp up its conventional oil and gas production in the coming years, so increased legislative actions and court activity will likely occur in the near future. Missouri's energy resources include coal bed methane, oil sand, …

Energy Subsidies And The World Trade Organization, Timothy Meyer

Faculty Scholarship

In recent months the World Trade Organization (WTO) has seen increasing conflict over the rules for government support of the energy sector. Government subsidies for particular forms of energy have long influenced producers’ investment choices and consumers’ consumption patterns in ways that affect both international trade and the environment. Trade and environmental lawyers have thus closely watched the WTO’s efforts to develop rules on government support for the energy sector. This Insight outlines recent activity in the WTO on subsidies for both traditional fossil fuels and the renewable energy sector. It also discusses the difficulties posed by the increased application …

Smart Regulation And Federalism For The Smart Grid, Joel B. Eisen

Law Faculty Publications

This Article examines the “Smart Grid,” a set of concepts, technologies, and operating practices that may transform America’s electric grid as much as the Internet has done, redefining every aspect of electricity generation, distribution, and use. While the Smart Grid’s promise is great, this Article examines numerous key barriers to its development, including early stage resistance, a lack of incentives for consumers, and the adverse impacts of the federal-state tension in energy regulation. Overcoming these barriers requires both new technologies and transformative regulatory change, beginning with the development of a foundation of interoperability standards (rules of the road governing interactions …

Who Regulates The Smart Grid?: Ferc's Authority Over Demand Response Compensation In Wholesale Electricity Markets., Joel B. Eisen

Law Faculty Publications

This Article argues that Order 745 is both justified under the Federal Power Act (FPA) and important to ensure the transition to a clean energy future. A challenge to Order 745, Electric Power Supply Association v. FERC, is currently pending in the D.C. Circuit. This Article contends that Order 745 should be upheld against this challenge because it fits within FERC's broad authority to regulate the wholesale power markets.

Green Harms Of Green Projects, John Copeland Nagle

Journal Articles

This article describes the recent development of renewable energy to examine environmental law’s three contrasting approaches to the green harms of green projects. Sometimes the law allows the green benefit regardless of the green harm. Sometimes the law prohibits the green harm regardless of the green benefit. And sometimes the law allows a balancing of all of the harms and benefits, green or not. Given these options, I argue that the law should not ignore or understate green harms even if they are caused by green projects. There are some types of green harms that no benefit can justify. But …

Agenda: The Future Of Natural Resources Policy, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

The Future of Natural Resources Policy (December 6)

This forum will provide a post-election perspective on some of the challenges and opportunities that natural resources, public lands, and energy policymakers in Washington are likely to face in the next four years. An expert panel will discuss the dynamics in the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and Congress, and how their evolving policies are likely to affect Colorado in the coming years.

Moderator: Dean Phil Weiser, University of Colorado Law School

Panelists:

Jay Jensen, Associate Director for Land & Water Ecosystems, White House Council on Environmental Quality

Scott Miller, Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Colorado Law …

Background Reading: Department Of The Interior, 2013 Departmental Overview, United States. Department Of The Interior, Ken Salazar

The Future of Natural Resources Policy (December 6)

18 pages (DO-5 through DO-22).

"Background Reading"

The Future of Natural Resources Policy: This forum will provide a post-election perspective on some of the challenges and opportunities that natural resources, public lands, and energy policymakers in Washington are likely to face in the next four years. An expert panel will discuss the dynamics in the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and Congress, and how their evolving policies are likely to affect Colorado in the coming years.

Slides: What Went Wrong At Divide Creek?, Matthew Sura

Monitoring and Protecting Groundwater During Oil and Gas Development (November 26)

Presenter: Attorney Matthew Sura, Former Director of Western Colorado Congress, graduate of University of Colorado Law School; attorney specializing in representation of landowners and mineral owners in oil and gas transactions and disputes

17 slides

Agenda: Monitoring And Protecting Groundwater During Oil And Gas Development, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center. Intermountain Oil And Gas Bmp Project, Colorado Water And Energy Research Center

Monitoring and Protecting Groundwater During Oil and Gas Development (November 26)

This workshop is cosponsored by the Intermountain Oil and Gas BMP Project and the Colorado Water and Energy Research Center, with financial support from the Environmentally Friendly Drilling Project and the CU-Boulder Outreach Committee.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) recently initiated a rule making process to develop new, statewide regulations for baseline sampling and monitoring of groundwater near new oil and gas wells. COGCC’s first rule making hearing was held November 14; the rule is expected to be finalized December 10. This workshop will discuss oil and gas development procedures that can impact groundwater, the current rules …

Slides: Survey Of State Sampling And Monitoring Rules, Kathryn Mutz, Josh Kruger

Monitoring and Protecting Groundwater During Oil and Gas Development (November 26)

Presenters: Kathryn Mutz and Josh Kruger, Natural Resources Law Center, University of Colorado Law School

7 slides

Slides: Routes To Sustainability: Natural Gas Development And Air And Water Resources In The Rocky Mountain Region, Mark Williams

Monitoring and Protecting Groundwater During Oil and Gas Development (November 26)

Presenter: Mark Williams, University of Colorado Boulder

14 slides

Slides: Colorado Law: Protecting Water Quantity And Quality, Alan E. Curtis

Monitoring and Protecting Groundwater During Oil and Gas Development (November 26)

Presenter: Alan E. Curtis, White & Jankowski, LLP

23 slides