Legal and Regulatory Challenges of Blockchain-Enabled Renewable Energy Systems

There is a global consensus that adopting renewable energy initiatives is the route to achieving net-zero emissions targets. While renewable energy systems can meet these targets effectively through blockchain deployment, primordial regulations and monopolistic frameworks are prevailing obstacles in decentralising such systems. Blockchain-enabled renewable energy systems are subjected to many industry-specific legal and regulatory challenges and barriers which inhibit blockchain proliferation. This Article traverses the foundational legal challenges, including the fragmented and incongruous network tariff methodologies, licensing requirements, and taxation schemes. It explores the lack of a comprehensive articulation of the roles and responsibilities of heterogeneous market actors engaging in blockchain systems. It also threads through the regulatory practices of certain countries with optimal blockchain technology readiness levels. This Article primarily draws on qualitative desk-based research by undertaking conceptual and explorative enquiries on the legal challenges surrounding blockchain-enabled renewable energy systems using primary and secondary data sources. In essence, identifying and exploring a plethora of regulatory gaps are key to enabling global regulatory shifts in the blockchain and energy fora.