Apart from their assigned mod courses, 1L students may only enroll in courses offered as 1L electives. A complete list of these courses can be found on the 1L Elective Listings page. 1L students must use the 1L class number listed on the course description when enrolling.
270.7 sec. 001 - Renewable Energy Law, Policy & Practice (Spring 2025)
Instructor: Matthew David Vespa
View all teaching evaluations for this course - degree students only
Units: 2
Grading Designation: Graded
Mode of Instruction: In-Person
Meeting:
M 6:25 PM - 8:15 PM
Location: Law 240
From January 13, 2025
To April 29, 2025
Course End: April 29, 2025
Class Number: 33001
Enrollment info:
Enrolled: 11
Waitlisted: 0
Enroll Limit: 23
As of: 11/23 11:55 PM
The transition of our energy system from reliance on fossil fuels to renewable resources has created a dynamic body of law and policy, with California leading the way in clean energy deployment and innovation. In this course, students will become familiar with key clean energy laws and policies and gain practical experience in advocating before implementing agencies such as state Public Utilities Commissions.
The course begins with a high-level overview of the clean energy landscape and the respective roles of California energy agencies in the clean energy transition. Next, we review different types of renewable energy resources and their relative advantages and limitations. From there, we proceed to an in-depth examination of laws and policies governing clean energy deployment such as renewable portfolio standards, compensation for rooftop solar, electric system resource planning, as well as emerging issues such as the production and use of hydrogen and “renewable” natural gas. As an experiential learning course, following review of the fundamentals of a specific policy, students will represent parties advocating for specific outcomes through exercises that include cross-examination of expert witnesses and ex parte meetings with decision-makers.
Student grades will be based upon participation in classroom discussion and exercises; performance in legal skill development exercises; and a take-home final exam.
Matt Vespa is a Senior Attorney in the Clean Energy Program at Earthjustice. Prior to joining Earthjustice, Matt worked on clean energy-related advocacy at the Sierra Club. Matt also served as a law clerk at the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York for the Honorable Nicholas G. Garaufis. Matt holds a law degree from the U.C. Berkeley School of Law, where he was elected Order of the Coif, a master's in conservation biology from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's in biology from the University of Pennsylvania. Matt was a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay and the recipient of the 2016 Environmental Leadership Award from the Ecology Law Quarterly at U.C. Berkeley School of Law.
Attendance at the first class is mandatory for all currently enrolled and waitlisted students; any currently enrolled or waitlisted students who are not present on the first day of class (without prior permission of the instructor) will be dropped. The instructor will continue to take attendance throughout the add/drop period and anyone who moves off the waitlist into the class must continue to attend or have prior permission of the instructor in order not to be dropped.
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Requirements Satisfaction:
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Exam Notes: (TH) Take-home examination
(Subject to change by faculty member only through the first two weeks of instruction)
Exam Length: 6 hours
Course Category: Environmental and Energy Law
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Books:
Required Books are in blue
- Renewable Energy
Rule
Edition: 2nd 2021
Publisher: West Academic
ISBN: 9781647083656
e-Book Available: unknown
Price: $255.00
Note: prices are sampled from internet bookstores. Law-school Bookstore prices are unavailable at this time.