Innovation in Energy Law and Technology

Technological and legal innovation have been central to energy development for centuries. Today’s era of accelerating change is transforming energy law. Disruption and change to established energy sources, supply, distribution, and energy consumer access is driven by legal innovations that, in turn, prompt or respond to technology. Interaction between legal and technological innovation is advancing the growing global effort to transition from high-carbon energy to low-energy or no-carbon energy—evidenced by the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change and the growing market demand for carbon-free electricity. This global transition to low-emission energy sources allows nations to take advantage of emerging economic opportunities and facilitates new forms of energy technology development, energy distribution, and governance. But progress is uneven and concerns such as energy security are initiating technological innovation in many existing energy technologies. These authors from twenty-one nations examine relevant developments in global energy law triggered by these innovations.