Episode
Joshua Macey
- Published
- Mar 26, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3352
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Summary
Spring has sprung, dear listeners. Now that this dreadfully cold winter seems to be behind us, our power bills might finally come back down to Earth. Here to explain why your electricity bill is so expensive – and what to do about it – is Joshua Macey, a Professor of Law at Yale Law School. Macey’s research and teaching interests are wide-ranging, from energy and environmental law to bankruptcy and legal theory. In this episode of the pod, we get into the nitty gritty on energy, utilities, and governance strategies. The episode begins with a discussion of whether, and under what circumstances, centralized government regulation is (and is not) better than competition among private energy providers. We then tackle several big theoretical questions, such as the best methodology for analyzing regulatory policy, whether a carbon tax could be effective, and whether there should be an Abundance agenda for energy. And we also talk practical solutions: Why don’t we create a vast inter-state energy network? Should every state adopt the Texas approach of “surge pricing” during times of increased electricity demand? And more. The episode concludes with another excellent nomination for the Canon of American Legal Thought (1975-2025). Referenced Readings “ Behavior of the Firm under Regulatory Constraint ”, by Harvey Averch and Leland Johnson The Economic Structure of Corporate Law , by Frank Easterbrook and Daniel Fischel “ The Corporate Governance of Public Utilities ”, by Aneil Kovvali and Joshua Macey “In Defense of Chapter 11 for Mass Torts” , by Anthony Casey and Joshua Macey “ Inside or Outside the System? ”, by Eric Posner and Adrian Vermeule A Running List of Nominations for the Canon of American Legal Thought (1975-2025) A Matter of Interpretation , by Antonin Scalia [Grov…