GRA 8513 Energy Governance, Law, Policy & Regulations (2020/2021)

GRA 8513 Energy Governance, Law, Policy & Regulations (2020/2021)

Course code: 
GRA 8513
Department: 
Law and Governance
Credits: 
5
Course coordinator: 
Nick Sitter
Course name in Norwegian: 
Energy Governance, Law, Policy & Regulations (2020/2021)
Product category: 
Executive
Portfolio: 
EMME - EMM specialisation in Energy
Semester: 
2020 Autumn
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Master
Teaching language: 
English
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

This course is part of the Executive Master of Management in Energy in cooperation with BI Norwegian Business School and IFP School.

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

The objective of this course is to give an introduction to energy policy, law and regulation and the challenges that governments and politicians face in the context of energy transition toward a low-carbon sustainable economy. The course explores how companies are subject to and deal with various form of political intervention, from public ownership to regulation, and how international oil and gas markets change. It examines the challenges that geopolitical, technological and supply and demand developments present for governments and firms, how energy policy (at the international, EU and national) level is designed, and how states and international organizations use law and regulation to build and shape markets , cope with energy security and manage the green transition. The course discusses the policy implications of approaching energy as a public, private and strategic good; and the strengths and weaknesses of different types of energy governance and policy tools. A range of empirical cases are used to explore these themes.

Acquired knowledge:
Participants will acquire an understanding of how national and international economic and political frameworks and governance mechanisms influence the energy industry and markets, with an emphasis on the challenges to energy policy makers and energy market regulators. This includes policy tools such as direct government intervention, state ownership and arms-length regulation, including the EU’s efforts to build markets and make them operate efficiently.

Learning outcomes - Skills

The course will enable the participants to understand energy markets (and the energy business and the need to regulate markets form a public policy perspective, both in terms of market failures (including the positive and negative externalities of energy production and consumption, competition policy and natural monopolies) and boarder political goals linked to economic stability, social justice, sustainability and security. They will be able to understand the motives and methods for energy policy making, assess the effectiveness of policy tools, and evaluate the trade-offs and dilemmas involved.
 

General Competence

The participants will be able to reflect on the political, technological, economic, trade, environmental and security challenges that different countries and organizations in the energy market face, and the ways governments, companies and international organizations in major regions try to deal with these challenges.

Course content
  • Energy in political economy: a private, public and strategic good (with important negative externalities – pollution).
  • Public governance in the energy sector: actors and policy tools (law, regulation, finance, ownership), interest group politics, national oil companies, governance.
  • Energy and international political economy: economic rent, supply and demand, geo-politics and geo-economics
  • Energy security in oil and gas markets: Price risks, supply risks, public policy tools
  • Oil markets: Global market, fungible product; national and company strategies
  • Gas markets: Regional markets, bilateral deals, geopolitics, pipeline diplomacy, EU energy and competition law 
  • Energy, security and governance: security threats, the resource curse, resource conflicts, public and private policy tools
  • Global governance, geo-economics, and energy transition: IEA and the international regime, the WTO regime and international law, mercantilism, climate clubs 
     
Teaching and learning activities

1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. 

Sessions include lectures, seminars and group work. 

Attendance to all sessions in the course is compulsory. If you have to miss part(s) of the course you must ask in advance for leave of absence. More than 25% absence in a course will require retaking the entire course. It's the student's own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class that is not included on the course homepage/ It's learning or other course materials.

Specific information regarding student evaluation beyond the information given in the course description will be provided in class.

The course is a part of a full Executive Master of Management in Energy (EMME) and examination in all courses must be passed in order to obtain a certificate.

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Qualifications

Granted admission to the Executive Master of Management in Energy programme.
 

Covid-19

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there may be deviations in teaching and learning activities as well as exams, compared with what is described in this course description.

Required prerequisite knowledge

Students should be familiar with the readings and references for the course “Energy economics and geopolitics”

Exam categoryWeightInvigilationDurationGroupingComment exam
Exam category:
Submission
Form of assessment:
Written submission
Exam code:
GRA 85131
Grading scale:
Point scale
Grading rules:
Internal examiner with external supervisor
Resit:
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
60No30 Day(s)Individual The students are evaluated through an individual 30 days course paper, counting 60% of the final grade.
Exam category:
Activity
Form of assessment:
Class participation
Exam code:
GRA 85131
Grading scale:
Point scale
Grading rules:
Internal examiner with external supervisor
Resit:
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
40No -Individual The students are evaluated through class participation, counting 40% of the final grade.
Exams:
Exam category:Submission
Form of assessment:Written submission
Weight:60
Invigilation:No
Grouping (size):Individual
Duration:30 Day(s)
Comment:The students are evaluated through an individual 30 days course paper, counting 60% of the final grade.
Exam code:GRA 85131
Grading scale:Point scale
Resit:All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam category:Activity
Form of assessment:Class participation
Weight:40
Invigilation:No
Grouping (size):Individual
Duration: -
Comment:The students are evaluated through class participation, counting 40% of the final grade.
Exam code:GRA 85131
Grading scale:Point scale
Resit:All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Type of Assessment: 
Continuous assessment
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Total weight: 
100
Student workload
ActivityDurationComment
Teaching
40 Hour(s)
Student's own work with learning resources
95 Hour(s)
Sum workload: 
135

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 5 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 135 hours.