Alan M. Seltzer

Alan M. Seltzer focuses his practice on electric, gas, water, transportation and renewable energy matters with a concentration on transactions and litigation before various state and federal courts and administrative agencies. He represents public utilities and other stakeholders before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.

His current emphasis is on obtaining the state regulatory approvals for the merger or acquisition of public utilities, and addressing the real estate, regulatory, tax and financing phases of renewable energy project development. He is the leader of the firm's Power Generation, Renewable & Utility Practice Group.

In July 2015, Alan was appointed to the Siting and Routing Workgroup of the Pennsylvania Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force – a stakeholder-driven effort that developed policies, guidelines and tools to assist in pipeline development, as well as long-term operation and maintenance. In this role, he worked collaboratively to develop best practices related to planning, sitting and routing oil and gas pipelines in ways that avoid, minimize or mitigate environmental and community impacts from pipelines across the Commonwealth.

Alan has recently represented:

• An entity seeking to repurpose former coal and nuclear generating station sites for the production of hydrogen.
• Hospitals, colleges, hotels and various manufacturers in the development of Combined Heat and Power projects.
• A private equity investor in due diligence matters involving the acquisition of water utilities in 13 states.
• Applicants in the merger or acquisition of gas and electric utilities.
• Applicants in regulatory proceedings to site major intrastate and interstate transmission facilities.
• Lenders to and developers of major Pennsylvania wind and solar projects.
• Tax equity investors in financing renewable energy projects.
• Buyers and sellers of municipal wastewater systems in proceedings before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
• A large refinery opposing the reversal of a major intrastate petroleum pipeline.

He also has experience:

• Representing utilities in complex retail utility rate cases.
• Defending utilities in rate and service matters before state regulatory agencies.
• Negotiating power supply and related contracts with utilities and other energy providers.
• Assisting competitive gas and electric suppliers in obtaining state licenses and related certifications
• Assisting clients in the development and financing of major Pennsylvania wind, solar and other renewable power generation projects.
• Representing applicants in regulatory proceedings to site major intrastate and interstate electric transmission lines.
• Representing utility merger parties in regulatory proceedings.

Alan is also the co-host, along with Firm colleague, John Povilaitis, of Buchanan’s energy podcast, Alternative Power Plays, which explores the latest trends and innovations in energy.

 Prior to joining Buchanan, Alan was a co-founding partner of Ryan, Russell, Ogden & Seltzer PC, a Central Pennsylvania-based law firm that primarily focused on energy, communications and utility matters.

Alan was named to City & State PA's 2023 Energy & Environment Power 100. He has been honored by Best Lawyers in America^© consecutively since 1997 in the area of Energy Law.