LS3531: ENERGY LAW (2020-2021)

A transition from reliance on fossil fuels to low-carbon renewable energy is essential for mitigating climate change and for making energy supplies more sustainable. The course considers the challenges and concerns that this fundamental change in the nature of energy supplies gives rise to, and explores law’s role in addressing them. The course examines the legal regimes for promoting renewable energy at international, EU and UK levels, and considers how law can be used to address significant constraints on the growth of renewable energy including difficulties with grid access and public opposition to wind energy development.

Course Aims

To provide students with an overview of the key issues in energy law, particularly in the UK. The course further aims to permit students to develop their critical and analytical skills by considering relevant energy policy and other contextual material and integrating such material into their analysis.

Main Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Students will acquire knowledge and understanding of a number of issues in energy law and sustainability.  The particular areas studied will vary from

time to time depending on factors such as current developments in the law and the research interests of staff involved, but irrespective of the topics selected, students will have an opportunity to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the key licensing models used to exercise control over hydrocarbon resources by the UK and other selected jurisdictions.

2. Demonstrate an understanding of the commercial and strategic imperatives underlying oil and gas contractual arrangements and the key legal devices used to further those goals.

3. Demonstrate an understanding of the regulation of key substantive issues in the energy industry in the UK and globally.

4. Explain and analyse the legal rights and responsibilities of key actors in each of the above settings.

Subject Specific Skills and Concepts

Students will be able to:

1. differentiate between and use appropriate primary and secondary sources and identify and retrieve up-to-date legal information using paper and electronic sources;

2. use recognised methods of citation;

3. use sources to support arguments and conclusions;

4. recognise, analyse, and rank arguments and evidence in terms of relevance and importance by managing volume of legal sources and select key material to construct written or oral answers to a legal problem;

5. present arguments for and against propositions;

6. think critically and make critical judgements on the relative and absolute merits of particular arguments and solutions and make choices as to the most preferable;

7. communicate using English language by creating work in a format that is understandable by the intended audience (through submission of exam answers, essays, and participating in discussions);

8. display informed knowledge and understanding of the social, economic, moral and ethical contexts in which energy law operates by demonstrating legal knowledge in association with related policy, underlying social conditions, professional ethical issues and moral issues.

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

More Information about Week Numbers

2x MCQ 30% each

1000 word essay 40%

Resit: 48 hours written exam

There are no assessments for this course.