Law students from across the country will travel to Morgantown to participate in the 13th annual National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition, hosted by the College of Law March 2-4.
A record 38 teams from 24 law schools are competing in this year’s event, which is organized by the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development and the Moot Court Board at WVU Law.
The competitors will debate the legal issues in a fictional problem tied to current developments in the energy industry. The problem this year involves the operation of competitive wholesale electricity markets and examines whether utilities can be required to continue to dispatch coal plants when lower-cost power may be available in the region.
These practices potentially violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s exercise of authority over wholesale power markets under the Federal Power Act. Another issue in the problem considers the constitutionality of a state law that gives a preference to incumbent utilities to build new transmission lines.
As part of the competition, the College of Law will host a banquet for the competitors on Friday evening (March 2). The speaker will be Tyson Slocum, director of the Energy Program at Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that represents the public interest in legal and regulatory proceedings.
The following law schools will compete:
· Appalachian
· Campbell University
· Chicago-Kent
· Duquesne
· Georgetown
· Louisiana State University
· Northwestern
· The Ohio State University
· George Mason University
· George Washington University
· The University of Toledo
· University of Cincinnati
· University of Florida Levin
· University of Houston
· University of Maryland
· University of Minnesota
· University of North Carolina
· University of North Dakota
· University of Utah
· University of Virginia
· Vermont
· Villanova
· William & Mary
· Yale
As the host law school, WVU Law will not compete.
Attorney Raymond Hinerman of Weirton is the title sponsor of the National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition. Law firm Babst Calland, and energy attorneys Natalie Jefferis and Timothy M. Miller, are also competition sponsors.
The Friday evening banquet is being co-sponsored by the ABA’s Section of Environment, Energy and Resources. WVU’s Moot Court Board is sponsored by Bailey, Javins & Carter, L.C.
The first of its kind in the country, the National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition was established in 2011.