Energy Law and Regulation

This course provides an introduction to energy law and regulation in the United States.  It covers basic principles of rate regulation and public utilities; the division of jurisdiction between federal and state governments; the key federal statutes and regulatory regimes governing natural gas, electricity, and nuclear power; and the implications of new climate change and renewable energy mandates for the electric power sector.  The first half of the course will focus on public utility regulation and the basic regulatory frameworks for natural gas and electricity regulation, with an emphasis on understanding the messy and uneven transition to wholesale competition in these sectors and, in the electricity context, the experience with state restructuring and retail competition.  The second half of the course will introduce students to the distinctive regulatory regime for nuclear power and explore in some depth the challenges and opportunities that come with new policies seeking to promote renewable energy and transition to a low-carbon electricity system. This course does not cover traditional oil and gas law or nuclear power.