Contemporary Challenges in Climate Policy and Energy Regulation

Catalog description

This class will touch on some of the most pressing yet fraught challenges and controversies in domestic climate policy and energy regulation. Climate change presents an existential threat that will require changes in virtually every facet of life, including especially in the energy sector. Traditionally, U.S. climate law and U.S. energy law are taught as two different fields with quite different origins, histories, and goals. But given recent backsliding at the federal level, the two fields are becoming inextricably intertwined with the long-term goals of sustainability and affordability. In the class, we will first explore what is left of U.S. climate policy and where it might be headed over the next few years before turning to how state and federal regulations might fill gaps and hasten the necessary clean energy transition, especially in the electric power sector. This is neither a traditional energy law class nor a stand-alone climate policy course. Instead, we will focus on some of the most contested areas of domestic regulatory policy at the intersection of climate and energy, including: decarbonization of the transportation, residential and commercial sectors; obstacles to and innovations in the renewable energy space; tensions between local environmental protection and renewable energy development; expansion and modernization of the electric grid; system reliability and consumer affordability in the face of accelerating energy demand; the role of AI as both demand and innovation driver; and future technological advancements, among other topics. Readings will include a mix of traditional material and other media. The class is open to law and non-law students and will include a series of expert guest speakers to complement the substantive topics we cover. Grading will be based on in-class participation and short written assignments.