Energy Law and Policy (3 credits)

This course examines the common law, statutes, and regulatory policies and procedures governing the extraction, conversion, and distribution of energy resources. Energy resources surveyed include hydro-energy, the fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas), and a secondary energy resource - electricity. Special emphasis is placed on the impacts of competition in the electricity utility industry, particularly environmental impacts. The course examines state and federal laws affecting energy resources, including state and federal siting laws, and a few recent federal statutes, such as the Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, the Surface Mine Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Act, the Oil Pollution Control Act of 1990, and the Energy Policy Act of 1992; laws designed to encourage conservation and the development of alternatives to fossil fuels will also be introduced. Prerequisites: None.