Alternative Power Plays

The energy industry can be doing all the right things, but what is that good effort worth publicly if no one knows about it? Or worse, if they have the wrong perception of reality? Without controlling the narrative, public and private sentiment can get out of hand fairly quickly. And that's why firms like Echo Communications exist. On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, Buchanan's John Povila...

Grid expansion is a challenge. On this, almost everyone can agree. But what will it take to expand electric grid capacity and what barriers need to be broken to advance transmission siting and permitting? On this episode of Alternative Power Plays Christina Hayes, Executive Director at Americans for a Clean Energy Grid (ACEG) and Cici Vu, Director of Energy and Climate Equity at DNV Energy Insight...

Much of the world is seeking to find new ways of cleaning up electricity supplies, reducing emissions, and cutting climate pollution from buildings, transportation and more. On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, hosts Alan Seltzer and John Povilaitis talk with two leaders from Energy Innovation, a non-partisan energy and climate policy think tank, about their latest report examining energy p...

For decades, Pennsylvania has served as a key energy battleground and, in some ways, a harbinger for the challenges the energy industry will face years down the line. On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, Buchanan’s Alan Seltzer and John Povilaitis are joined by Andy Tubbs, President and CEO of the Energy Association of Pennsylvania, or EAP for short. EAP is a trade association that represen...

The presence of coal in the U.S.’s energy mix has obviously changed dramatically over the past 15-20 years. From the continued growth of natural gas to the expansion of renewables to the increased focus on nuclear energy, coal has fallen quite a bit since its peak usage in the mid-2000s. On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, Buchanan’s Alan Seltzer is joined by Fran Taglia, President of Weir...

The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill on July 4th, 2025, coupled with an Executive Order (EO) issued by President Trump on July 7th, have shined a light on certain key requirements impacting eligibility for various renewable tax credits that have existed for a number of years, but which have likely been under most people’s radar. The requirements are known as the “Beginning of Construction” or...

On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, Buchanan’s Alan Seltzer and John Povilaitis welcome Stephen McCloskey, Residential Energy Efficiency Analyst at Cape Light Compact. Cape Light Compact is an energy services organization operated by the 21 towns on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Dukes County in Massachusetts. In his role, McCloskey helps with the administration of its energy efficiency p...

The wholesale electricity market has changed plenty in recent years, and if future projects are any indication, more change is on the way in the decade-plus ahead. On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, Buchanan’s Alan Seltzer and Brattle’s Metin Celebi welcome colleague Andrew Levitt, a Senior Consultant at Brattle. Levitt is an expert in wholesale electricity policy, focused on evolving sys...

On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, Buchanan’s Alan Seltzer and John Povilaitis welcome Jon Gordon, Director at Advanced Energy United. Advanced Energy United (AEU) is an industry association and advocacy group that represents the full range of advanced energy technologies and services, both grid-scale and distributed. In his role, Jon leads AEU’s work to increase wholesale electricity mar...

What exactly is needed to prepare the electrical grid for load growth expected to come from electric vehicle adoption? What role does the clean energy industry play? On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, Buchanan’s Alan Seltzer and John Povilaitis sat down with Ryan Gallentine, Managing Director of Advanced Energy United. Advanced Energy United is a national industry association representing...

Clean hydrogen may be the future of renewable energy to some, but substantial upfront costs are a hindrance to truly enabling the industry to flourish. The First Public Hydrogen Authority (FPH2) and CEO Jason Caudle are working to change that. On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, Buchanan’s John Povilaitis and Alan Seltzer talk with Caudle about FPH2 and the future of hydrogen energy. Prior...

For some time, marketing hydrogen in an affordable way has been a challenge to say the least. One company, Grimes Carbon Tech, says that assertion is untrue and they have the technology to prove it. On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, Buchanan’s Alan Seltzer and John Povilaitis welcome Joseph Maceda, founder of Grimes Carbontech, and Haydn Palliser, Principal at green energy transition adv...

What goes into building the largest underground electrical substation in the U.S., and why is the project so important? To answer this question, Buchanan’s Alan Seltzer and Brattle’s Metin Celebi sat down with Maija Benjamins, Director of Strategic Project Development at Eversource. Eversource is New England’s largest energy delivery company, serving 4.4 million electric and natural gas customers...

How can digital infrastructure unlock electric grid capacity? Dynamic line ratings, or DLR, is a technology used by utilities to optimize the electrical carrying capacity of power lines. DLR helps them account for real-time issues like weather and dynamically adjust the maximum capacity for a line. Today, LineVision is the only DLR provider using tower-mounted optical sensors today. Their patented...

The challenges that transmission operators and utilities face are growing by the day. Integrating renewables, extreme weather, and grid reliability are just a few. On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, Buchanan's John Povilaitis and Brattle's Metin Celebi welcome Dr. Pablo Ruiz, co-founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer at NewGrid, Inc. Ruiz is an electrical engineer w...

Cement is the critical ingredient required to make concrete – the literal foundation of countless construction projects here in the U.S. and abroad. However, the environmental impact of producing traditional cement has been one of the biggest downsides of this all-important building material. That is, until Fortera and its proprietary cement-making process takes off. On this episode of Alternative...

What is the outlook for the U.S. Energy Sector under President Donald Trump's second term in office? We welcome back Ed Hild, principal in Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney's government relations practice to give us a download on what to expect. Ed is a former Chief of Staff for Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and has deep connections with powerful voices in Washington, D.C. During this episode of...

As the world increasingly moves toward cleaner energy solutions, the demand for long-duration energy storage is at an all-time high. Hydrostor, a global leader in compressed air energy storage, is addressing this challenge by providing scalable, efficient, and sustainable alternatives to traditional battery technology. In this episode of Alternative Power Plays, hosts Alan Seltzer and John Povilai...

In this episode of Alternative Power Plays, hosts Alan Seltzer and John Povilaitis explore a transformative technology that is reshaping landfill energy with Melinda Sims, Co-Founder and Director of Product Development at LoCI Controls. The conversation will get into how LoCI's technology platform utilizes automation, advanced algorithms, and real-time data to optimize methane capture and reduce e...

The U.S. electric grid is experiencing unprecedented demand growth driven by data centers, manufacturing, and increased electrification.    On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, hosts Alan Seltzer and John Povilaitis are joined by Rob Gramlich, President of Grid Strategies. Rob breaks down the numbers behind this surge in demand and discusses its implications for grid reliability, power mark...

In this episode of Alternative Power Plays, hosts Alan Seltzer and John Povilaitis engage in a conversation with Aliya Bagewadi, the U.S. Director of Strategy Partnerships at Allume Energy. She discusses how Allume Energy is transforming solar access for apartment renters.    Aliya shares more about the company’s origins in Australia and its mission to promote energy equity as it expands to market...

In this episode of Alternative Power Plays, hosts Alan Seltzer and Elizabeth Rosentel, a senior advisor in Buchanan's state government relations group, interview Pennsylvania State House Representative Greg Vitali, who has dedicated decades to environmental and energy issues. As the first legislator in Pennsylvania to introduce climate change legislation and propose a severance tax on natural gas,...

In this episode of Alternative Power Plays, hosts Alan Selter and John Povilaitis explore the future of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure with John Taggart, President and Co-founder of WeaveGrid. WeaveGrid is transforming the electrification of transportation by optimizing EV charging for utilities, EV manufacturers, and owners. During the discussion, Taggart shares insights on the company's so...

On this episode of Alternative Power Plays hosts Alan Seltzer and John Povilaitis sit down with Jørgen Festervoll, CEO of Heimdall Power, a company specializing in advanced monitoring technologies for electric transmission lines.    During the discussion, Jørgen gets into his background, the company's mission to optimize power grids, and the functionality of their sensors, which have the ability t...

On this episode of Alternative Power Plays, hosts Alan Seltzer and John Povilaitis chat with  Ted Bloch-Rubin, Director of Business Development Americas at Smart Wires, Inc. Ted discusses Smart Wires' grid-enhancing technologies, including their flagship product, the Smart Valve, and dynamic line rating software, Sumo.   Ted then talks about how these technologies optimize grid use, enhance reliab...