LAW7324 - Energy law, regulation and policy

Leader(s): Ms Rowena Cantley-Smith

Offered

City (Melbourne) Trimester 3 2009 (On-campus block of classes)

Synopsis

As globalisation has gathered pace, Australian, regional and international energy markets have experienced significant economic and structural transformations. These changes have been accompanied by significant legal and policy developments, reflecting growing worldwide concerns over diminishing global supplies of traditional fossil fuel resources, cost and price fluctuations, security of energy supply, environmental hazards of fossil fuel production and consumption (e.g. sustainable development, climate change and marine pollution) and a variety of human rights matters issues (e.g. corporate responsibility and indigenous peoples' rights to and over natural resources).

Objectives

Upon completion of this unit, students should have an appreciation of domestic and international energy markets and the global importance of energy, together with a broad understanding of various multidisciplinary aspects of energy markets such as price, cost, security of supply, environmental damage and international and internal armed conflict. Students should also have a comprehensive understanding of, inter alia:

1. Various energy sectors in Australia, relevant sources of energy law for each sector and the impact of constitutional constraints on the energy sector;
2. Historical development of the national energy market (electricity and gas) and the policy decision making, governance arrangements and legislative and regulatory framework of the nascent Australian Energy Market;
3. Regulatory functions, obligations, responsibilities and/or participatory rights and benefits of key stakeholders in the Australian Energy Market;
4. Adverse impact of energy production and consumption on the environment, in particular greenhouse gas emissions;
5. Various domestic, supranational and international legislative and regulatory responses to dealing with environmental harm, such as emissions trading systems and changing the fuel mix towards renewable energies and/or nuclear power.

Assessment

Research paper (6,000 words): 80%

Class presentation on major research paper: 20%

Contact hours

24 contact hours per semester (either intensive, semi-intensive or semester long, depending on the Faculty resources, timetabling and requirements)