Energy Deference
Harvard Environmental Law Review Forum, Vol. 40, 2016
9 Pages Posted: 13 Sep 2016
Date Written: April 14, 2016
Abstract
Electricity law is complex, and the Supreme Court knows it. Lawyers are familiar with the adage that generalist courts tend to defer to agency decisions where the subject matter is complex or technical. But what features of a case make the Court more or less likely to defer to the agency's judgment? And how exactly do deference regimes work in the presence of complexity? This essay offers insights gleaned from Court's opinion in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission v. Electric Power Supply Ass’n (“EPSA”). It explains, first, that Courts are highly deferential in energy cases due to both the complexity of the subject matter and the uncertainty that often surrounds energy decision-making. It then explains how this deference operates in practice, concluding that the Court relies on "deference proxies" to confirm their inexpert intuitions.
Keywords: Energy, Electricity, Deference, FERC v EPSA
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?
