Energy Law Section

About the Energy Law Section (ELS)

The University of Groningen has a special connection with the energy sector. The University is situated on top of Europe’s largest onshore natural gas field and has developed close ties with the energy industry. The region is referred to as the Energy Valley: it is the national energy supplier with large-scale and decentralised generation and storage, facilitated by energy ports on the North Sea, located at the heart of the Northern European gas and electricity grid.

To combat climate change, the region is making an energy transition away from fossil fuels towards sustainable energy sources, together with European and international actors. Not surprisingly, the Board of the University has chosen 'energy' as one of the key areas for its research and teaching and created the Wubbo Ockels School for Energy and Climate.

As part of the Faculty of Law, the Energy Law Section performs cutting-edge legal and multidisciplinary research, while providing top-of-the-line legal education relevant for the energy transition. Its research and education cover the entire energy chain as well the transitions therein which are necessary to move towards a more sustainable society. This includes all legislation and regulation applying to the production, transport, storage and supply of energy, the promotion of renewable energy sources, the need to secure energy supply, energy efficiency, as well as climate action and environmental protection.

Energy and sustainability issues come together by addressing the legal dimension of the energy transition processes in which climate considerations play an essential role.