ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the legal aspects of a transition to greater production, distribution, and use of hydrogen in the American Energy system. There are two major legal aspects of hydrogen: domestic and international. The chapter provides a brief introduction presenting the concept of energy law, then surveys the legal order and trends, and projects those into the future of the years 2000 to 2025. American property law is deeply rooted in English feudalistic concepts concerning land. Land was the basis of wealth and thus required special protection. The common law nuisance action is an ancient method of controlling pollution. A nuisance is an unreasonable interference with the use and enjoyment of land. Many municipalities have extended the broad power of zoning to a much more complicated and sophisticated form of zoning called land use planning. Land use planning differs from zoning in that zoning merely involves regulation of the various types of uses permitted within various areas of a city.
