In this special edition of “Alternative Power Plays” marking fifty-plus episodes, Buchanan’s John Povilaitis and Alan Seltzer are joined by Brattle’s Metin Celebi and Frank Graves for a wide-ranging retrospective and forward-looking discussion of the energy industry.

The episode begins with the hosts reflecting on the podcast’s evolution since launching in 2021, from its original focus on combined heat and power (or CHP) to its broader conversations on hydrogen, nuclear energy, electrification, grid capacity, and political and international issues. The four then take a trip down memory lane to revisit standout episodes and highlight guests that prompted insightful, impactful and important conversations. They also examine past predictions that failed to pan out.

Looking ahead, the hosts analyze several emerging issues and challenges facing the energy sector, including data centers, affordability, grid-enhancing technologies and climate change – topics of discussion that very well may appear in the next 50 episodes!

To learn more about John Povilaitis, visit https://www.bipc.com/john-povilaitis

To learn more about Alan Seltzer, visit https://www.bipc.com/alan-seltzer

To learn more about Metin Celebi, visit https://www.brattle.com/experts/metin-celebi/

To learn more about Frank Graves, visit https://www.brattle.com/experts/frank-c-graves/

In this second part of a two-episode conversation, Todd Snitchler, president and CEO of the Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA), returns with hosts John Povilaitis and Alan Seltzer. The trio takes a closer look at EPSA’s Competitive Power Principles and specifically the organization’s commitment to evolving the resource mix. Snitchler outlines how EPSA members have long owned diverse fleets and warns against states that have “bet the farm” on a single resource type. Instead, Snitchler argues, a diverse mix of sources – from natural gas and renewables to battery storage and nuclear – is key to continued supply reliability and price competitiveness.

On nuclear, Snitchler notes that EPSA’s members own the largest nuclear fleets in the country, and he spotlights a number of recent project successes, including Constellation’s Crane Clean Energy Center and Vistra’s deal with Meta. He also discusses the bipartisan support for nuclear projects at the federal level, including funding announcements by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Povilaitis and Seltzer shift the conversation to a discussion on “speed to connectivity,” to which Snitchler highlights how efforts by Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania are leading the way in eliminating barriers to infrastructure development and accelerating the build-out of increased power generation. The episode closes with a focus on climate concerns, as Snitchler describes how competitive markets have driven significant emissions reductions by retiring older, higher-emitting units and encouraging the deployment of newer, more efficient and lower-emitting plants.

To learn more about EPSA, visit https://epsa.org/

To learn more about Todd Snitchler, visit https://epsa.org/about-epsa/our-staff/snitchler/

To learn more about John Povilaitis, visit https://www.bipc.com/john-povilaitis

To learn more about Alan Seltzer, visit https://www.bipc.com/alan-seltzer

In this first part of a two-episode conversation, hosts John Povilaitis and Alan Seltzer are joined by Todd Snitchler, president and CEO of the Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA), the national trade association representing America’s competitive power suppliers. EPSA’s members own roughly 225,000 MW of competitive generating capacity – spanning natural gas, nuclear, geothermal, coal, wind, solar, hydro and battery storage – in markets ranging from the West Coast to Texas and the Northeast.

Snitchler is a self-described “recovering lawyer, politician and regulator” whose career spans service in the Ohio House of Representatives and as chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and the Ohio Power Siting Board. A lawyer by trade, he has also represented independent power producers on utility regulation, reliability and infrastructure development.

Across a wide-ranging conversation, Povilaitis, Seltzer and Snitchler unpack how competitive wholesale power markets work, contrast restructured markets with vertically integrated utility models and demystify regional transmission organizations. The trio also notes how the rapid growth of data centers has complicated load forecasting and outlines the measures states and utilities are implementing to mitigate these challenges.

To learn more about EPSA, visit https://epsa.org/

To learn more about Todd Snitchler, visit https://epsa.org/about-epsa/our-staff/snitchler/

To learn more about John Povilaitis, visit https://www.bipc.com/john-povilaitis

To learn more about Alan Seltzer, visit https://www.bipc.com/alan-seltzer

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 Povilaitis welcomes Chris Moyer, President of Echo Communications Advisors. Chris has nearly 20 years of experience advising U.S. Senators, presidential campaigns, and advocacy organizations on how to influence public narratives and policy outcomes. That includes helping shape legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act and securing billions in clean energy funding.

During the conversation, Chris shares some of the risks and opportunities that energy companies face in the year (and years) ahead, what type of messaging can resonate in our hyper polarized world, and what changes those in Washington, D.C., should make to the narrative on renewables.

To learn more about Echo Communications, visit: https://echocomms.com/

To learn more about Chris Moyer, visit: https://echocomms.com/staff/chris-moyer/

To learn more about John Povilaitis, visit: ⁠https://www.bipc.com/john-povilaitis

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 Insights USA, join hosts Alan Seltzer and John Povilaitis for a conversation on ACEG’s Report addressing the important issue of public acceptance of new electric infrastructure projects.

ACEG is a non-profit public interest advocacy coalition focused on the need to expand, integrate and modernize the North American high-voltage electric grid. Christina has 20 years of experience as a regulatory energy attorney, including a decade at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. She previously served as Vice President for Federal Regulatory Affairs at Berkshire Hathaway Energy. At ACEG, Christina has been a leading advocate for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or FERC’s landmark rule reforming regional transmission planning, Order No. 1920.

Cici works to design strategies that address complex environmental and social challenges, with an emphasis on infrastructure, policy, and community-centered planning. She is a co-author of a report came out in January of this year and is called “The PACE of Trust: A Framework by Community Voices for Advancing Transmission.”

To learn more about ACEG, visit: https://www.cleanenergygrid.org/

To learn more about Christina Hayes, visit: https://cleanenergygrid.org/team/christina-hayes/

To learn more about Cici Vu, visit: https://www.iesna.com/speaker/cici-vu/

To learn more about Alan Seltzer, visit: https://www.bipc.com/alan-seltzer

To learn more about John Povilaitis, visit: ⁠https://www.bipc.com/john-povilaitis

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 parks as a solution to some of these challenges.

Energy parks are essentially large-scale microgrids that integrate multiple renewable energy source-and-storage solutions like batteries, and co-locate with electricity consumers such as factories or data centers, all of which is connected to the grid at a single point. And while these energy parks sound good in theory, there are a number of regulatory hurdles that need to be overcome to bring them to life.

Eric Gimon, a Senior Fellow at Energy Innovation, and Michelle Solomon Manager in the Electricity Program at Energy Innovation, talk about why energy parks may be the solution to some of our energy hurdles. During the discussion, they share insights into how energy parks work, why they make sense (and for whom they make sense), and what the future looks like for them.

To learn more about Energy Innovation, visit: https://energyinnovation.org/

To learn more about Michelle Solomon, visit: https://energyinnovation.org/bio/michelle-solomon/

To learn more about Eric Gimon, visit: https://energyinnovation.org/bio/eric-gimon-2/

To learn more about Alan Seltzer, visit: https://www.bipc.com/alan-seltzer

To learn more about John Povilaitis, visit: ⁠https://www.bipc.com/john-povilaitis

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 represents and promotes the interests of regulated electric and natural gas distribution companies operating in Pennsylvania. Tubbs has extensive background in the regulation of utilities, policy and strategy, legislative affairs, and utility operations. He spearheads EAP’s initiatives to advocate for the energy industry and strengthen collaboration among policymakers, regulators and utility providers.

During the discussion, the trio discuss the challenges facing Pennsylvania’s jurisdictional electric and gas utilities, whether new electric utility legislation is needed, what the future of solar could look like in the Commonwealth, and much more.

To learn more about EAP, visit: https://www.energypa.org/

To learn more about Alan Seltzer, visit: https://www.bipc.com/alan-seltzer

To learn more about John Povilaitis, visit: ⁠https://www.bipc.com/john-povilaitis

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 International, an independent consultancy that provides mining, geology and energy related services throughout the United States and internationally. Fran has two decades of technical, operational analysis and business management experience in the financial, product development and production industries.

During the episode, Seltzer and Taglia talk about the changing role of coal as an energy source and key drivers impacting its future. How much does the political landscape impact this resource? Is a true coal resurgence really happening? What untapped opportunities are there for this industry?

To learn more about Weir International, visit: http://www.weirintl.com/

To learn more about Fran Taglia, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fran-taglia-4b355841

To learn more about Alan Seltzer, visit: https://www.bipc.com/alan-seltzer ⁠