Professor Hannah Wiseman quoted in The Economist

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.—Professor Hannah Wiseman was recently quoted in The Economist in an article titled, “Old fossil-fuel plants are becoming green-energy hubs.”

The article details a worldwide trend toward transforming former power stations and oil and gas wells into renewable energy plants and places to test green technology. It notes that recycling these fossil-fuel relics makes sense, as they are already connected to the grid.

Wiseman provided legal insights for the article: “What’s more, regulatory roadblocks may limit progress. Alexandra Klass and Hannah Wiseman, legal scholars at the University of Michigan and Penn State Dickinson Law, say that obtaining permits to develop brownfield sites in America is often costlier than getting permits for pristine land. And, although some support may exist at state level, President Donald Trump has axed federal renewable-energy tax credits that reduced the cost of repurposing.”

Professor Hannah Wiseman is a Professor of Law, Professor in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Institute of Energy and the Environment Co-funded Faculty Member, and Co-Director of the Penn State Center for Energy Law and Policy. Professor Wiseman teaches and writes in the areas of Energy Law, Property Law, Oil and Gas Law, Land Use Regulation, and Environmental Law. Her work focuses on the mechanics and design of regulation and governance in these areas. She explores the challenges of determining appropriate governance levels and fostering effective regulation that addresses externalities while enabling societally beneficial development.