Third-year Texas A&M Law student, Ryan Block, was recently awarded a Texas A&M Energy Institute Fellowship for his research on federal electricity transmission regulation.
Hailing from Columbia, Maryland, Ryan prepared for a career in energy law throughout his undergraduate, graduate, and law school education. Ryan attended the University of Maryland at College Park, where he graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science and Policy and a Masters in Energy Policy. During his studies, he interned with the Office of the General Counsel for the Environment at the U.S. Department of Energy. Afterwards, he interned with State Senator, Roger Manno, where he drafted energy and environmental policy. (Fun fact: Maryland Governor Larry Hogan referenced Ryan’s thesis in policy remarks to the Maryland General Assembly!) Ryan fondly recalls that these experiences “helped [him] discover [his] interest in electric utilities and grid modernization.”
While in law school, Ryan is concentrating his studies on energy and business law, and is interested in pursuing a career involving the regulation of electric utilities, power markets, and grid infrastructure. He has also pursued his interests as an intern with the Energy Markets Section of the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He also interned with the Office of Electricity and Fossil Energy and Carbon Management at the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General Counsel. Ryan said that his favorite internship experiences involved “seeing how the concepts that [he] learned in energy law at A&M influence the implementation of modern solutions both by the government and the stakeholders.”
Ryan’s extensive education and experience in energy law helped him gain recognition and achievement in the field. In June of 2022, the Texas A&M Energy Institute recognized him with a Texas A&M Energy Institute Graduate fellowship. This fellowship rewards excellence in energy research and promotes research that is important to our energy future. Ryan’s current research focuses on federal electricity transmissions regulation, and he is working under the guidance of Professor Felix Mormann to explore how to improve integration of renewable energy and energy storage systems into the electricity grid. Block views the fellowship “as a vindication of [his] efforts to make his law school experience unique and individualized to fit [his] interests and goals.”
Information on the Texas A&M Energy Institute Fellowship can be found here.