The Energy Clinic

Overview

In 2014, the Institute for Energy and the Environment launched the first full academic year energy clinic in the U.S. While many programs use “energy” to mean concepts exclusively related to oil and gas, at Vermont Law and Graduate School we teach energy in the context of justice and the environment. Working to advance climate justice has been a focus of our Energy Clinic’s work, providing expertise in not only our current energy systems, but how we want the world to be powered 50 years from now.

The Energy Clinic operates year-round – for fall, spring, and summer sessions – providing opportunities for our JD, LLM, and Masters of Energy Regulation and Law (MERL) students to progressively develop the knowledge, skills, and values integral to the field of energy law and policy, while also helping our clients meet local energy needs with reliable, clean, and affordable resources. 

Students from other schools across the country have come to VLGS to work in our Energy Clinic, and we welcome your interest. Energy clinicians undertake projects to resolve energy law and policy challenges in a sustainable and socially equitable manner, for both the local community and the world. As a result, our Master’s and JD students are hired directly from the Energy Clinic to meaningful positions in renewable energy development, clean energy and climate justice advocacy, and law firms throughout all levels of the public sector.

Our Mission

Projects at The Energy Clinic focus on clean energy advocacy, transactional law, regulatory policy, project finance and development, as well as public education and resources. Community solar is a key project area. Energy clinicians have actively developed and promoted improved models for community solar that maximize the environmental and economic benefits available for community members, nonprofits, small businesses, and farms.

As part of this work, student clinicians have written and periodically updated a community solar how-to guide, developed publicly available model legal agreements to give effect to community solar projects, and presented to community organizations to help inform local populations about solar projects. The Energy Clinic helps clients negotiate, draft, and review legal agreements for specific solar projects. According to Professor Kevin Jones, “The Energy Clinic allows us to expand upon classroom theory and allows students to develop the actual legal structures for community solar, as well as implement real projects.”

The Energy Clinic’s work in community solar continues to evolve in response to changing laws and policies. Currently, student clinicians are working with clients throughout New England to help shape state policy advancing community solar and expanding community solar outreach across local areas and beyond. The Energy Clinic is also investigating barriers to low-income solar ownership, developing ownership models, how-to guides, and template legal agreements specific to the needs of low-income communities. Through this work, we believe that clean, distributed solar can help reduce income inequality, rather than increase it.

Testimonial

“THE ENERGY CLINIC WAS AN EXCELLENT EXPERIENCE OVERALL – I WAS EXPOSED TO LEASE AGREEMENTS, OPERATING AGREEMENTS, DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS, ETC. AND THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS I GAINED A SOLID UNDERSTANDING OF COMMUNITY RENEWABLE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN GENERAL. I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THE CLINIC TO ANYONE INTERESTED IN ENERGY DEVELOPMENT, TRANSACTIONAL LEGAL WORK, OR TO ANYONE WHO JUST SIMPLY WANTS TO WORK WITH AN AMAZING GROUP OF PEOPLE.”

Travis C. Jones, 2018 Summer Clinician
J.D. Candidate, 2020

Projects

Students in the Energy Clinic participate in a wide variety of exciting projects on the cutting-edge of energy research, analysis, and advocacy. These projects equip students to lead the nation forward in the clean energy transition. Learn more about the energy projects led by the Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE).

Institute Staff

Research Team

Highlights

Mascoma Aerial
The Energy Clinic worked with this 50-household community, the NH Community Loan Fund, ReVision Energy, and Clean Energy NH to bring solar energy to the residents. Others contributing include the Abundant Life Church, which donated the land for the array, and the NH Public Utility Commission, which provided grant funding (Photo Credit: ReVision Energy).

The Mascoma Meadows project is a national model for bringing the benefits of clean energy to a low-income community. You can find more information on our Mascoma Meadows community solar project here. The Energy Clinic currently has two additional community solar projects with ROCs in NH under development.

Beyond community solar, the Energy Clinic’s projects encompass other areas of renewable energy such as micro-hydro, energy efficiency, and anaerobic bio-digesters. For example, the Energy Clinic successfully guided a Vermont farm through the federal and state regulatory process to integrate a micro-hydro project into the farm’s existing water supply system. Drawing on lessons learned from that experience, the Energy Clinic is developing a publicly available how-to guide to inform and assist future potential projects through the permitting process. 

The Clinic has worked with the Vermont Farmers Food Center in Rutland to explore energy efficiency options and other sustainable means to manage their energy use. In addition, we have worked on multiple projects focused on advancing the use of anaerobic bio-digesters to create both energy and compost from agriculture and food waste. The Energy Clinic’s Farm and Energy initiative is also participating with national NGOs on how to sustainably site solar on agricultural land.

Resources

Comments On FTC Workshop On Something New Under The Sun: Competition And Consumer Protection Issues In Solar Power
An Analysis Of RECs In Vermont (PDF)
Energy Clinic’s Seven Steps To Community Solar Ownership (PDF)
Guide To Community Solar Ownership (Updated)
Appendix A: Community Solar Guide Abbreviations
Appendix B: Model LLC Operating Agreement (Updated)
Appendix C: Model Solar Land Lease (Updated)
Appendix D: Community Solar Business Forms
Appendix E: Understanding RECs