Blog Posts
Regulating Fracking by Protecting Plants and Wildlife
By Rose Wilkinson
The potential environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) as they relate to human health have been discussed at great depth, but there are relatively few major federal laws governing fracking activities. Paradoxically, much less has been written on the potential implications of fracking on endangered species of plants and nonhuman animals, but the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) could serve as a strong legal tool for the regulation of fracking. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“FWS”) now considers the potential effects of drilling activities when making listing determinations, such as acknowledging that disturbance...
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Closing Thoughts from the 2013 Shapiro Conference: The Way Forward to a Sustainable Energy Future
By Molly Masterton
This year’s J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Conference finished strong at GW Law on Thursday with a lively concluding dialogue. Centered on a big picture discussion of where we are headed in the realm of sustainable energy development, this event was a culmination of the conference’s eight previous panels. Over the course of two days, attendees were exposed to an impressive breadth of speakers and diversity of topics...
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Energy & Environmental Law Paper Series
Time, Power, Money, and Hackers: FERC’s Regulatory Role in Smart Grid Cyber Security
By Anne Hope Newton
The energy sector is advancing dramatically, and new devices such as smart meters are contributing to changes in the sector. The existing grid of transmission and distribution lines is gradually being replaced with new technology to create a “Smart Grid” that is designed to deliver electricity efficiently and automatically, minimizing the human role in energy delivery. These changes, however, are bringing substantial risk, and the industry must take care to use its new technology responsibly....