Uniting Energy and Environmental Law: Focus on Innovation, Creativity, and Economics
Forthcoming, Oil and Gas, Natural Resources, and Energy Journal (ONE J)
8 Pages Posted: 14 Nov 2018
Date Written: October 1, 2018
Abstract
Decarbonization of the energy sector is essential to mitigating the worst impacts of climate change. For now, renewable energy enjoys broad popularity, while support for environmental law and regulation is highly partisan and has negative connotations for many. The question is how to avoid having the negative connotations of the environmental movement and environmental law detract from the economic and environmental promise of clean energy. I argue that, by employing creative, broadly-worded goals that allow for technological innovation we can drastically lower the cost of decarbonization while still moving toward a zero-carbon future. As the same time, by working on multi-party deals that pair jobs, economic development, and efficiency with protection of key low carbon resources, it is possible to craft win-win solutions for parties that otherwise find themselves in opposition.
Keywords: decarbonization, zero-carbon, clean energy, renewable energy, energy transition, innovation
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