Environment, Energy, & National Resources Center at UH Law Center draws top experts to discuss EPA, shale, and clean energy

Fall EENR speaker series dates are Sept. 11 and 17

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Sep 10, 2015, 05:55 ET

HOUSTON, Sept. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Energy experts will assess the future development and environmental impacts of energy sources in Texas and around the world in consecutive weeks in September as the Environment, Energy & Natural Resources Center (EENR) hosts its Fall 2015 Speakers Series at the University of Houston Law Center.

On Friday, Sept. 11, three speakers with Houston ties will discuss "EPA's Clean Power Plan and the Future of Texas Energy."

On Thursday, Sept. 17, Dr. Tina Hunter, a Reader in Energy Law at the Aberdeen University Centre for Energy Law, will examine "Best Practices for Shale Development in Australia and Lessons for Other Countries."

The first of the two free, hour-long discussions will examine the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan, a mammoth rule that will require substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from existing coal-fired power plants. The plan far exceeds EPA's prior regulatory efforts to urge the nation's power grid away from coal and other fossil fuels. The rule will have enormous implications for Texas' power supplies, energy producers and consumers, and state autonomy.

Speakers are:

Michael Nasi, a partner with the Environmental and Legislative Affairs Practice Group in the Austin office of Jackson Walker L.L.P. where he practices environmental law in areas of air, water, reclamation and waste management and manages the firm's air quality practice.
Richard Alonso, a partner with the Environmental Strategies Group in the Washington, D.C., office of Bracewell & Giuliani LLP where he advises manufacturers and energy companies on environmental, permitting, compliance and enforcement issues before state and federal agencies, focusing on Clean Air Act issues.
Charles D. McConnell, Executive Director of the Energy and Environmental Initiative at
Rice University. The former U.S. assistant secretary of energy heads the program whose mission is to partner with the energy industry to develop sustainable technologies and practices for all types of energy.

In the second session, Hunter will discuss shale development stemming from her work with the South Australian Roundtable for Unconventional Gas Projects, the Western Australian government, and the working group for the Modernising Queensland's Resources Acts Program. She teaches and researches in the areas of national and international petroleum law and policy, with a focus on unconventional and Arctic petroleum regulation and governance. She has presented at more than 50 conferences on three continents and has consulted to governments, industry groups, and NGOs in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, the UK, Russia, Poland, and Canada.

The Sept. 11 session will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Room 211 TUII of the UH Law Center. The Sept 17 session will be held from noon to 1:00 p.m. in Room 209 BLB of the Law Center.

Attendees will earn 1 hour of CLE credit (no ethics) for each session. Box lunches will be provided. RSVP to [email protected].

The EENR Speakers Series is underwritten by Blank Rome LLP, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, Vinson & Elkins LLP, and the Environmental & Natural Resources Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.

University of Houston Law Center Media Contacts: Carrie Anna Criado, UH Law Center Executive Director of Communications and Marketing, 713-743-2184, [email protected]; John T. Kling, UH Law Center Communications Manager, 713-743-8298, [email protected]; or Ken Fountain, [email protected].

About the University of Houston
The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the nation's best colleges for undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city, UH serves more than 40,900 students in the most ethnically and culturally diverse region in the country.

About the University of Houston Law Center
The University of Houston Law Center is the leading law school in the nation's fourth-largest city. Founded in 1947, it is a top-tier institution awarding Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees. The Law Center is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.

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SOURCE University of Houston Law Center