Spring 2023
Professor(s):
Susan Sakmar (VISITING)
Credits: 2
Course Areas: Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law
International Law
Time: 7:30p-9:30p W Location: 200
Course Outline: This course explores the myriad of legal, policy and environmental issues pertaining to global natural gas markets with a particular focus on global shale gas development and the development of LNG import and export projects around the world, including recent developments in US LNG export projects. This semester will be particularly interesting, as we will discuss the role of natural gas and LNG in the current low-oil price environment.
The first half of the semester will explore the growing role that natural gas will play around the world in the context of global shale gas development. By most accounts, shale gas development in the United States has been a “game changer” that could be replicated around the world so long as the right regulatory and environmental frameworks are put in place. This course will explore the existing regulatory and environmental frameworks for shale gas, especially those in the United States, as well as frameworks being developed around the world with the objective of exploring the substantive law of shale gas development as well as developing the analytical and practical skills necessary to the practice of law.
The second half of the semester will explore the growing role that LNG is expected to play as the “glue” linking global gas markets. The course will explore the opportunities and challenges for various LNG import and export projects around the world in the current contextual reality wherein energy law and policy are increasingly intersecting with environmental law and geopolitics. Particular focus will be on recent policy and regulatory actions taken with respect to US LNG exports.
Course Syllabus: Syllabus
Course Notes: (Synchronous Online) The UH registration system instruction mode for this course is listed in parenthesis. After student registration opens, there may be instruction mode changes to this course up through two weeks before the first day of classes for the term, but notice of such changes will be sent to then-registered students. Contrary to the UH information, some student materials may not be available online, such as an assigned casebook. A physical classroom may be assigned for this course to give students a location in the Law Center to join the virtual class sessions. If the course has a final examination, the final and any other assessment for the course, such as a mid-term exam, will be conducted without the need to physically come to the Law Center, such as, for example, via the EBB portal as a take home exam or under remote proctoring.
Quota = 30
Prerequisites:
First Day Assignments: First Day Assignment
Final Exam Schedule: Paper
This course will have:
Exam:
Paper:
Satisfies Senior Upper Level Writing Requirement: No
Experiential Course Type: No
Bar Course: No
DistanceEd ABA: Yes
Pass-Fail Student Election: Available
Course Materials
Book(s) Required
Book Requirements: Susan L. Sakmar, Energy for the 21st Century: Opportunities and Challenges for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) (2013). The book is available for direct purchase from the publisher at www.e-elgar.com (hard back ISBN-13: 978-1782544234) or paperback (ISBN-10: 1782544232). The book is also available on Amazon.
