PIPELINE SAFETY CONSULTANTS
About Us
Our Story
The Oak Tree Group consultants is a group of former Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA PUC) Safety and Rates Engineers and Utility Financial Analysts, that was formed to assist small natural gas distribution system companies, master meter operators, and Act 127 Operators with federal & state pipeline safety compliance, as well as utility rate case and tariff support, and natural gas (NGS) and electricity supplier (EGS) broker/marketer license applications. We are comprised of a small group of federally certified pipeline safety inspectors and utility financial & rate analysts.
The Oak Tree Group is the only utility consulting company in Pennsylvania with both federally trained and Commonwealth trained safety engineers, in addition to having experience in PA PUC utility rate design, cost of service, rate base, revenue and expenses, and NGS/EGS license applications. As former PA PUC employees who have over 75 years of combined regulatory experience, we are uniquely qualified to support your company through the maze of government regulations, and to ensure that you are in compliance with federal and state pipeline safety regulations, and all PA PUC filing requirements.
If your company is experiencing compliance issues with 49 CFR 191, 192, 193 &195 or need assistance with other PA PUC issues related to small natural gas utility companies, and NGS/EGS licensing, please contact us. The Oak Tree Group can lead you into compliance and formulate procedures to ensure future compliance.
Meet The Team
Paul Metro
Paul worked 35 years for the PA PUC serving in a wide range of roles. He was the Manager of the Pipeline Safety Division for the PA PUC’s Investigation and Enforcement Bureau for 18 years. Paul was also the Program manager for Electrical Safety, Water Safety, and PA One Call Enforcement. He was responsible for pipeline safety compliance and was a PHMSA Pipeline Safety Instructor in which he conducted federal & state compliance training at the federal training facility in Oklahoma City, OK. Prior to being a program manager, Paul was a Senior Expert Witness for the Pa PUC- Office of Trial Staff for 17 years. He testified in gas, electric, telephone, water and sewer rate filings. These case involved rate design, cost of service, rate base, depreciation, and gas cost issues.
He has numerous achievements with the PA PUC:
2010 National Gas Safety Program Manager of the Year
White House Invitation for Champion of Change - Transportation
Chairman – National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives
Testimony in front of the PA House and Senate Committees
Testimony in front of the U.S. House Transportation Committee
Board of Directors PA1Call System
Board of Directors Common Ground Alliance
Vice Chairman NARUC Pipeline Safety Committee
Testified in all Electric and Gas Restructuring Filings
Testified in more than 140 Rate Proceedings
Drafted the Gas Cost 1307(f) Regulations
Paul has a BS Degree in Mineral Economics and Industrial Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University and a MS Degree in Industrial Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University.
Tony Rametta
Tony has over 37 years of experience in the energy and utility regulatory environment with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the last 25 with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC). Most recently, he was the Supervisor of the Energy Division, overseeing a team of utility financial analysts and engineers, dealing with a variety of gas and electric utility, and pipeline regulatory compliance work, and serving in an advisory capacity to the Commission. Specifically, his Division was charged with creating and approving the Act 127 pipeline applications and maintaining the annual registry of pipeline companies for the PUC, electric and natural gas distribution company tariff review and approval, small natural gas utility rate case review and approval, electric generation and natural gas supplier application review and approval, that included maintaining a registry of bond holders, implemented the approval of the first new natural gas distribution utility in the Commonwealth in over 40 years, and electric utility transmission line application approval.
Tony has a B.S. in Bio/Chem from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Shippensburg.
Andrew Geibel
Andrew worked 6 years as a Pipeline Safety Engineer with the PA PUC. He is fully certified through the US Department of Transportation- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) by completing all the requisite training courses to conduct natural gas pipeline safety audits & inspections. Andrew has performed countless procedural and field inspections across the state of Pennsylvania on natural gas distribution operators, landfill operators, gathering line operator, and transmission line operators. He has completed the Advanced Level of the Appalachian Corrosion Control Short Course. He has also taken part in several gas incident investigations and is well versed in what the code of federal regulations requires of operators. He has prepared written testimony for several rate cases filed by Pennsylvania distribution operators, and helped prepare and facilitate annual audits of the PA PUC Pipeline Safety Division conducted by PHMSA. Prior to joining the PA PUC, Andrew worked 3 years as a manufacturing engineer for a company that builds military helicopters. Andrew has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State and has completed the Engineers in Training Examination, the first step to obtaining professional engineers licensor.
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