Online Articles

Installation of a rooftop solar photovoltaic system. Image by Greens MPs via Flickr.

So Long, Solar? The Future of Net Energy Metering in California Will Soon Be Decided

October 19, 2021 by Jaclyn Lee Energy Renewable Energy State and Local

In September 2021, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) began its highly anticipated proceeding to reevaluate the state’s net energy metering successor (NEM 2.0) tariff. Expected no later than January 2022, the decision from the national leader in solar electricity production could have far-reaching impacts on the future of customer-owned solar generation and battery storage.

What’s in a Number: The Social Cost of Carbon

August 19, 2021 by Garrett S. Kral, Esq. Litigation Online Supplemental Article Regulations

By Garrett S. Kral, Esq.*

*Garrett S. Kral is a former U.S. EPA official and political appointee for the Trump administration.

Texas street covered with snow after a storm.

Renewable Energy Framed as the Culprit of Texas Blackouts

April 20, 2021 by Blake Ellis Climate change Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy

In February 2021, the state of Texas experienced unprecedented power outages caused by severe winter storms. Conservative politicians and media were quick to blame the use of renewable energy as the culprit of the outages. The facts present a different explanation.

The Public Trust Doctrine: A Cracked Foundation

April 15, 2021 by Myles Douglas Young Litigation Natural Resources Public Lands State and Local

The utilization of the Public Trust Doctrine in litigations is often premised on its supposed ancient Roman pedigree. This article explores the origins of the doctrine and finds that, in fact, the ancient doctrine was quite different from the one we see in the United States today. What errors do scholars make, and what do those errors mean for the survival of the modern doctrine?

By Myles Douglas Young, Administrative Editor

Courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

We're Falling into a Ring of Fire: Taking Stock of Wildfire Liability Regimes from Varying Perspectives in the United States

March 31, 2021 by Alec Williams Air Climate change Litigation Public Lands State and Local

After a record-breaking wildfire season in 2020, lawsuits are likely to flood the dockets of federal and state courts across the United States. Wildfire liability determinations at either level can be complex, typically implicating many parties and exorbitant damage awards. However, in light of the projected impact of climate change on wildfire frequency and severity, such lawsuits may become increasingly commonplace.

By Alec Williams, Managing Editor

Line of offshore wind turbines. Photo by Pål Espen Bondestad, licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Continued Progress with Vineyard Wind 1 is Promising for Offshore Wind Power

March 29, 2021 by Rachel Schwartz Oceans Renewable Energy Sustainability

On March 8, 2021, the Biden Administration took a significant step toward finalizing the approval of America’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm. Vineyard Wind 1, located 14 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, has the potential to power 400,000 homes.