The Natural Resources Journal (NRJ) at the University of New Mexico School of Law seeks proposals for academic articles for its Spring 2016 issue, Number 56.2, on legal and policy issues relating to various aspects of the Mexican energy reforms and the future for the energy relationship between the United States and Mexico. A conference on the same topic will be held October 10, 2015.
In 2013, the Mexican government launched monumental energy reforms that break the 77-year constitutional ban on foreign investment in Mexican energy reserves. The reforms have the potential to inject new life into a sluggish Mexican energy economy, but the historic transition will not be without challenges. The legal authorization for the multi-faceted reforms is new and untested; it remains to be seen whether the constitutional amendments, the Hydrocarbons Law, the Hydrocarbons Revenue Law, and the Electric Industry Law will be sufficiently comprehensive and flexible to usher in the reforms. Further, Mexico is still establishing the regulatory and procedural capacity to facilitate bi-lateral partnerships and is hampered by an underdeveloped energy infrastructure.
The NRJ invites proposals for papers that explore any of the challenges and barriers that remain to be addressed to foster the exchange or transboundary development of oil and gas, electric generation, transmission, and other energy-related capital, infrastructure, information, technology, best practices, or products between the United States and Mexico. We are especially interested in papers that offer legal, political, or other solutions to such challenges and barriers.
Deadline: Email your proposal to NRJsubmissions[@]gmail.com by May 1, 2015. Please include the following documents: 1) an abstract of 300 – 500 words; 2) proposed sources; and 3) an author CV. In addition, please indicate whether you are willing to speak at a symposium. Questions may be directed to Submissions Editor Anne Minard at NRJsubmissions[@]gmail.com.
