George Washington Journal of Energy & Environmental Law
A student-run publication of The George Washington University Law School
By: Bandar Altunisi, Associate Known as global powerhouse of fossil fuels, Saudi Arabia has focused on diversifying its energy sources in the last 10 years. Saudi Arabia considers solar energy to be a leading alternative energy source with an approximate potential 2,200 thermal kWh of solar radiation (sunshine) per square meter.[1] Furthermore, Saudi Arabia intends… Continue reading Saudi Arabia Pursuing Nuclear Energy to Maximize Energy Diversity
By: Sandra Zegarra, Associate As the United States’ power infrastructure transitions from the current electric grid to the Smart Grid, an assortment of new security and reliability concerns, notably in the cyber security arena, have been introduced.[1] Although the objective of the Smart Grid includes heightened security, the implementation of supplementary technologies such as… Continue reading Is the Smart Grid Better Protected?: Nine Months After NIST Releases Cybersecurity Framework
By: Adam Shaw, Associate Planktonic or “blue-green” algae are single-celled bacteria that are normally “a beneficial component of the food chain.”[i] In warm, nutrient-rich environments, however, they can produce dense blooms that result in toxic substances known to cause sickness in livestock, wildlife and humans.[ii] In the summer of 2014, Lake Hartwell, located between Georgia… Continue reading Not So-Sweet Tea: A Legal Fix for Managing the Organoleptic Effects of Lake Hartwell’s Drinking Water
By: Scott Farnin, Associate More than two years ago, the D.C. Circuit vacated and remanded the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (“NRC”) Waste Confidence rule in New York v. NRC.[1] As a result of that decision, the NRC suspended all licensing issuances for commercial nuclear power plants until the court’s remand was appropriately redressed.[2] On September 19th, 2014… Continue reading Commercial Nuclear Reactor Licensing Hurdles — New York v. NRC
By: Christina Tabacco, Associate On June 30th the Supreme Court of the United States declined to grant the petition for certiorari by plaintiff-appellees in the case Rocky Mountain Farmers Union v. Corey, 730 F.3d 1070 (9th Cir. 2013), cert. den’d 134 S.Ct. 2875 (June 30, 2014) . The plaintiffs sought to strike down a major… Continue reading The U.S. Supreme Court Passes on Chance to Weigh in on California’s Climate Change Initiative
By: John Kashuba, Associate Problem: Recent litigation has produced ambiguity as to whether subcontractors are covered under the Christian doctrine. If this is indeed the case, practitioners advising clients bidding or negotiating for procurement work containing clauses espousing requirements as to the kinds of materials that must be used, or other clauses containing compliance… Continue reading Subcontractor Coverage Under the Christian Doctrine
By: Caleb Rosenberg, Article Editor During the midday hours of May 25, 2012, Germany accomplished an impossible task: nearly fifty-percent of the energy generated in the country came from solar power.[1] Humming along at twenty-two gigawatts, Germany’s solar power plants pumped out electricity with the force of twenty nuclear power stations.[2] Germany’s stunning achievement came… Continue reading Solving the Goldilocks Problem: A Market Based Proposal for a More Efficient Feed-in Tariff in Japan
By: Adam S. Carlesco, Associate It is an undeniable fact that renewable sources of energy have been rising tremendously over the past decade and are continuing to grow with nearly one in three new power projects being renewable in nature.[1] While wind energy is leading the pack of renewable technology, solar energy has seen a… Continue reading The Hidden Environmental Impacts of Photovoltaic Panels
By: Claire Brown, Associate Recent decisions by the Court of Appeals for the Third, United States v. EME Homer City[1] and Seventh, United States v. Midwest Generation,[2] Circuits are the newest additions to the growing body of case law concerning the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) enforcement power under the Clean Air Act’s Prevention of Significant… Continue reading Recent Decisions Affecting EPA’s Ability to Enforce PSD/NSR Violations
By: Katryn Hurtado, Associate Interstate compacts regarding water allocation could face increasing scrutiny since the Supreme Court issued its decision in Tarrant Regional Water District v. Hermann this June.[1] Tarrant resolved a longstanding dispute between Texas and Oklahoma over cross-border rights to the Red River and its tributaries under the Red River Compact of 1980.[2]… Continue reading The Red River Compact: State Sovereignty and Water Interdependence