LAW650E

040221

This survey course will introduce the broad spectrum of legal and policy issues associated with the adoption of renewable energy sources. It provides a foundation for practicing in this area should you be interested in pursuing any of these legal or policy issues in detail. The renewable energy sources discussed are: (1) solar (photovoltaics and concentrated mirrors); (2) wind; (3) hydropower; (4) hydrokinetics (currents and tides); (5) biofuels (ethanol, algae); and (6) geothermal (naturally occurring and fracking induced). The associated legal and policy issues discussed are: (1) environmental impacts and their mitigation; (2) federal and state subsidies, especially tax preferences (picking winners and losers); (3) policy choices leading to legislation and subsequent regulation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and state Public Utility Commissions (PUCs); (4) fundamental Constitutional limits on state and federal authority; (5) Native American rights; and (6) economic realities (project finance and tax). The legal and policy background on critical issues also will be discussed to better enable understanding of the substantial transformative changes resulting from the use of renewable energy sources.

ALT - Alternative Grading +/- A,B,C,D,E,S,P,F

Law