One of our favorite guests from last season makes a return appearance to discuss the energy space as it relates to our elected officials in Washington, D.C. Ed Hild, a principal in Buchanan’s Government Relations practice in D.C., stops by to discuss the fallout from the midterm elections that left Democrats in control of the Senate and the Republicans with slim control in House. With this new power structure in place, Ed gives his expert opinion on if he expects a standstill in energy policy. E...
Mar 08, 2023•19 min•Ep. 20
On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, Anul Thapa, a Principal with the Brattle Group, discusses New England’s natural gas supply, transmission and distribution system and the challenges it faces in this winter. Anul has more than a decade of experience applying economic and finance principles in complex oil and gas-related litigation, arbitration, and regulatory proceedings. He co-authored “Understanding Natural Gas Markets,” which was prepared for the American Petroleum Institute in 2014....
Feb 22, 2023•46 min•Ep. 19
On this episode, Alan Seltzer and John Povilaitis welcome two Power Players who are helping revolutionize the energy space by developing technology that they say will allow existing electric power generation plants to use natural gas with absolutely zero carbon emissions. Brothers Joel and Jeff Haas say, unlike other carbon emission technology that requires significant upfront cost and a major overhaul of a power plant’s existing infrastructure, their company, G2 Power promises to make this proc...
Jan 18, 2023•27 min•Ep. 18
Natural gas has always been a focus on Alternative Power Plays. From its use in CHP facilities and much more, it is the dominant fuel source for electric power across much of the country. On this episode, the focus has shifted to discuss another strong influence on the future of natural gas – the increasing pressure on utilities to shift away from natural gas to conservation, electrification, and cleaner fuels, out of concern for the climate. Policy initiatives could alter the availability and/o...
Aug 24, 2022•31 min•Ep. 17
Hosts John Povilaitis and Alan Seltzer of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney are joined by a former member of PA’s House of Representatives, Jaret Gibbons. Gibbons is the current executive director of the Appalachian Region Independent Power Producers Association, a non-profit whose mission is to turn coal waste into an energy source. Connecting back to our episode on the blockchain coalition, this podcast will also discuss how the use of coal refuse is important in mining bitcoin. In this episode,...
Aug 16, 2022•32 min•Ep. 16
On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, Buchanan, Ingersoll, & Rooney attorneys and podcast hosts John Povilaitis and Alan Seltzer shift from the usual renewable energy discussions to welcome Pennsylvania Blockchain Coalition president, Dominic Folino, to discuss the history of blockchain technology and the connection it has with conversations around energy. The episode begins with the introduction of the PA Blockchain Coalition, or PBC, and how it began. Folino goes on to speak about th...
Aug 02, 2022•15 min•Ep. 15
Welcome back to another episode of Alternative Power Plays, the podcast from Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney and The Brattle Group. Alan Seltzer, an Energy attorney at Buchanan, and is joined by his colleague at Buchanan and co-host John F. Povilaitis, a shareholder at Buchanan. On this podcast, the pair talk to companies across industries about the new and innovative ways in which they are getting electricity to their facilities, buildings and other sites. On this episode, we are talking to a com...
May 03, 2022•47 min•Ep. 14
Traditionally, Alternative Power Plays has been about speaking with companies across industries about the new and innovative ways in which they are getting electricity to their facilities, buildings and other sites. On this episode, however, At Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, energy attorneys and podcast hosts John Povilaitis and Alan Seltzer want to take that energy discussion to an even higher level – specifically, to Washington, D.C. Our guest for this episode is Edward G. Hild, a principal ...
Apr 11, 2022•17 min•Ep. 13
On the second part of our two-part series, focusing on the impact of the war between Russia and Ukraine on global gas and oil markets, Frank Graves of the Brattle Group is joined by Steve Thumb, a nationally noted oil & gas expert, to explore the long-term impacts of the war on global energy markets. The conversation continues with the recent history of the energy industry and forecasts what fallout is likely to occur as a result of the war. Tess Counts and Josh Figueroa of the Brattle Group...
Apr 08, 2022•24 min•Ep. 12
Between the war between Russia and Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic, our global energy consumption habits have become a major point of concern. In a special episode from the Brattle Group, principal Frank Graves talks with Steve Thumb, a nationally noted oil & gas expert, who was in charge of oil and gas forecasting for three decades at the widely used source, Energy Ventures Analysis. Steve shares how the current war in Ukraine and Russia has and will impact the long-term landscape of glob...
Apr 07, 2022•28 min•Ep. 11
In Alternative Power Plays, we talk all about the new and innovative ways in which businesses are getting electricity to their facilities, buildings and other sites. John Povilaitis a shareholder at Buchanan, Ingersoll and Rooney and is joined by Alan Seltzer, an Energy attorney at Buchanan. The pair focus our legal practice in the energy and public utility space, with specific work helping clients navigate the world of combined heat and power, also known as CHP or cogeneration. For this episode...
Feb 07, 2022•17 min•Ep. 10
Welcome to Alternative Power Plays, a podcast from Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney and the Brattle Group. In Alternative Power Plays, we talk all about the new and innovative ways in which businesses are getting electricity to their facilities, buildings and other sites. John Povilaitis, a shareholder at Buchanan, Ingersoll and Rooney in the firm’s energy practice, and is joined by Alan Seltzer, a fellow shareholder and energy attorney at Buchanan. On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, we ar...
Jan 24, 2022•18 min•Ep. 9
On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, Metin Celebi interviews Ted Borer and Tom Nyquist both from Princeton University! As the Executive director of Facilities Engineering and Campus Energy, Tom Nyquist is responsible for HVAC, electrical distribution, utility plant capacity additions, energy budget, underground utilities and energy conservation. As for Ted Borer, he has three decades in the power industry starting in nuclear industry in the early 1980’s. Currently, Borer is the energy pla...
Jan 10, 2022•25 min•Ep. 8
At Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, energy attorneys John Povilaitis and Alan Seltzer focus their work on helping clients go through the process of installing combined heat and power units, also known as CHPs, to their facilities. At the Brattle Group, Metin Celebi and Frank Graves help clients figure out the financial aspects of this process, evaluating whether these projects make sense for facilities of all types. Over the course of their careers, the four have helped countless clients underst...
Jun 02, 2021•20 min•Ep. 7
On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, we talk to Al Wanosky, the Global Health, Safety and Environmental Manager at Solvay Specialty Polymers. Al has been with Solvay for more than 16 years and, in working for a plastics manufacturing company, has dealt with some unique challenges when it comes to getting electricity and steam to Solvay facilities, specifically at the plant in Marietta, Ohio. Hosted by Metin Celebi, principal at The Brattle Group, a global economic consulting firm and part...
May 19, 2021•14 min•Ep. 6
As part of their legal practice at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, attorneys Alan Seltzer and John Povilaitis focus on the energy and public utility space. They have specific work helping clients go through the process of installing combined heat and power units, also known as CHPs, to their facilities. Making your own electricity and using the waste heat to avoid energy purchases can be a complex process, but with the right team in place it can bring enormous financial, environmental, and oper...
May 05, 2021•13 min•Ep. 5
This episode of Alternative Power Plays is Part 2 of a discussion with Al Neuner, Vice President of Facilities Operations at Geisinger Health Systems. To listen to Part 1, click here: https://anchor.fm/alternative-power-plays/episodes/Power-Player---Al-Neuner-of-Geisinger-Health-Systems-etpeug . Part 2 of the interview with Neuner focuses on some of the different types of cogeneration systems that businesses can consider and how Geisinger was, once again, ahead of the curve in this area. Specifi...
Apr 20, 2021•14 min•Ep. 4
This episode of Alternative Power Plays is Part 1 of a discussion with Al Neuner, Vice President of Facilities Operations at Geisinger Health Systems. Neuner is responsible for introducing a Combined Heat and Power system at Geisinger’s flagship hospital and healthcare site in Central Pennsylvania in the late 1990s -- making him a true pioneer in the world of CHP. Since then, the system has delivered Geisinger consistently reliable energy in addition to millions in energy savings. This episode i...
Apr 06, 2021•14 min•Ep. 3
On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, we talk to a true Power Player in the world of combined heat and power (CHP) – Mike Larson, Business Development Director at DTE Energy Services, a diversified energy company based in Detroit. Hosted by Metin Celebi, principal at The Brattle Group, a global economic consulting firm and partner with Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, this discussion centers around Mike's experience with CHP. The two talk about how he helps facilities of all types install ...
Mar 09, 2021•20 min•Ep. 2
Last week, unprecedented snowfall and frigid temperatures wreaked havoc on Texas’ energy infrastructure, leaving millions across the state without power and heat for hours, or in many cases, days at a time. Many of the state’s nuclear, gas, coal, wind and solar generating facilities were unable to handle the surge in power demand, and because Texas’ energy grid is largely separate from neighboring states, Texas could not address this energy crisis by taking from the surrounding region. While the...
Feb 24, 2021•11 min•Ep. 1