Alabama Power

{{short description|American electrical company}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Alabama Power Company

| logo = Alabama Power new logo.svg

| logo_size =

| logo_caption =

| logo_alt =

| logo_padding =

| image = File:Alabama Power building.jpg

| image_caption = Alabama Power's headquarters in Downtown Birmingham, Alabama

| image_alt =

| type = Subsidiary

| foundation = {{start date and age|1906}}

| location = Birmingham, Alabama, US
Alabama Power Headquarters Complex

| key_people = Jeff Peoples (chairman, CEO and president)
Moses Feagin (CFO){{cite web|url=http://blog.al.com/businessnews/2010/07/birminghams_alabama_power_name.html|title=Birmingham's Alabama Power names new chief financial officer|publisher=AL.com|date=2010-07-28|access-date=2012-01-20}}

| industry = Electricity

| products = Electric power

| revenue = {{increase}}US$7.817  billion (2022){{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

| parent = Southern Company

| homepage = {{URL|www.alabamapower.com|alabamapower.com}}

}}

Alabama Power Company, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is a company in the southern United States that provides electricity service to 1.4 million customers in the southern two-thirds of Alabama. It also operates appliance stores.{{cite web|url=http://www.alabamapower.com/about/pdf/factcard.pdf|title=Alabama Power Company Fact Card - 2011|publisher=Alabama Power Company|date=2011|access-date=2012-01-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111201084752/http://www.alabamapower.com/about/pdf/factcard.pdf|archive-date=2011-12-01|url-status=dead}} It is one of four U.S. utilities operated by the Southern Company, one of the nation's largest generators of electricity.

Alabama Power is an investor-owned, tax-paying utility, and the second largest subsidiary of Southern Company. More than {{convert|84000|mi|km}} of power lines carry electricity to customers throughout a service territory of {{convert|44500|sqmi|km2}}.{{cite web| url = https://www.alabamapower.com/company/about-us.html| title = About Us| website = Alabama Power| access-date = 2024-04-21}}

Alabama Power's hydroelectric generating plants encompass several lakes on the Tallapoosa, Coosa, and Black Warrior rivers, as well as coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear and cogeneration plants in various parts of the state.

Pollution

File:Gorgas Electric Generating Plant LOC HABS 180273.jpg

In 1999, the United States Environmental Protection Agency commenced an enforcement action against Alabama Power under the Clean Air Act. In 2006, the EPA announced that Alabama Power had agreed to spend more than $200 m to upgrade pollution controls as a partial settlement of this action.[http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/198a007cc57e64d3852570210055f3f6/9800b064764883568525715b005ac17b!OpenDocument Alabama Power Company to Spend More Than $200 Million Under Clean Air Act Settlement] The settlement did not include claims regarding five coal-fired plants.[http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/decrees/civil/caa/alabamapower-cd.pdf Partial Consent Decree], United States District Court Northern District of Alabama Southern Division Those claims proceeded to trial, and Alabama Power prevailed. However, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) has stated that they intend to appeal the ruling.{{update inline|date=December 2022}} SELC was involved in a case against Duke Energy that was appealed to the Supreme Court in 2006.[http://www.southernenvironment.com/cases/duke_alabama/alabamacasepage.htm Legal Action Against Alabama Power] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304033227/http://www.southernenvironment.com/cases/duke_alabama/alabamacasepage.htm |date=2016-03-04 }}[http://www.southernenvironment.com/cases/duke_alabama/casepage.htm Legal Actions Against Duke Energy and Alabama Power] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304040422/http://www.southernenvironment.com/cases/duke_alabama/casepage.htm |date=2016-03-04 }}

{{As of|2021}}, AP's coal-fired James H. Miller Jr. Electric Generating Plant is the single largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the United States.[https://insideclimatenews.org/news/21112022/who-were-the-worst-climate-polluters-in-the-us-in-2021/ Who Were the Worst Climate Polluters in the US in 2021? - Inside Climate News]

Public benefits

In addition to generating electricity, the waters surrounding the plants offer recreational opportunities for Alabama residents and visitors.{{fact|date=December 2022}}

The Alabama Power Foundation is a non-profit foundation providing grants for watershed, environmental and community projects along the Coosa River and within the state of Alabama[http://www.southerncompany.com/alpower/foundation/home.asp Alabama Power Foundation Website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070218114957/http://www.southerncompany.com/alpower/foundation/home.asp |date=2007-02-18 }}

Allegations of media manipulation

An investigation by National Public Radio and Floodlight News found Alabama Power paid consulting firm Matrix LLC, which in turn allegedly paid newspapers or affiliated groups which ran positive coverage of Alabama Power, namely Yellowhammer News, Alabama Political Reporter (for which Matrix designed the website), and Alabama Today.{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/12/19/1143753129/power-companies-florida-alabama-media-investigation-consulting-firm |title=In the Southeast, power company money flows to news sites that attack their critics |date=December 19, 2022 |author1= David Folkenflik |author2=Mario Ariza |author3=Miranda Green}}

Terry Dunn ran and won a campaign for a seat on the Alabama Public Service Commission promising to hold a formal rate hearing to investigate Alabama Power's financials and why electricity prices in Alabama are among the highest in the country. He alleges a utility company lobbyist warned him to be a team player if he wanted to keep his seat, and that utility-funded newspapers conducted a smear campaign that resulted in Dunn losing the next election and avoided the promised rate hearing.

In 2017, Matrix hired a private investigator to surveil Southern Company CEO Tom Fanning near his home.[https://www.al.com/news/2022/08/operative-group-matrix-hired-detective-who-surveilled-southern-co-ceo.html Operative group Matrix hired detective who surveilled Southern Co. CEO]

Power generating facilities

{{kml}}

=Fossil fuel plants=

class="wikitable" width="75%"

!Plant

!Nearest City

!Coordinates

!Capacity

James M. Barry Electric Generating Plant

|Bucks, Alabama

|{{coord|31|00|22|N|88|00|40|W|type:landmark|name=James M. Barry Electric Generating Plant}}

|2,657,200 kW

Ernest C. Gaston Electric Generating Plant

|Wilsonville, Alabama

|{{coord|33|14|35|N|86|27|33|W|type:landmark|name=Ernest C. Gaston Electric Generating Plant}}

|1,880,000 kW

William Crawford Gorgas Electric Generating Plant

|Gorgas, Alabama

|{{coord|33|38|42|N|87|12|01|W|type:landmark|name=William Crawford Gorgas Electric Generating Plant}}

|1,221,250 kW

Greene County Electric Generating Plant

|Demopolis, Alabama

|{{coord|32|36|06|N|87|46|58|W|type:landmark|name=Green County Electric Generating Plant}}

|1,220,000 kW

James H. Miller Jr. Electric Generating Plant

|West Jefferson, Alabama

|{{coord|33|37|55|N|87|03|38|W|type:landmark|name=James H. Miller Jr. Electric Generating Plant}}

|2,640,000 kW

=Hydroelectric plants=

class="wikitable" width="75%"

!colspan="4"|Coosa River

Plant

!Nearest City

!Coordinates

!Capacity

Weiss Hydroelectric Generating Plant

|Leesburg, Alabama

|{{coord|34|7|56.10|N|85|47|35.76|W|type:landmark|name=Weiss Hydroelectric Generating Plant}}

|87,750 kW

Henry Hydroelectric Generating Plant

|Ohatchee, Alabama

|{{coord|33|47|3.16|N|86|3|7.76|W|type:landmark|name=Henry Hydroelectric Generating Plant}}

|72,900 kW

Logan Martin Hydroelectric Generating Plant

|Vincent, Alabama

|{{coord|33|25|30.66|N|86|20|11.92|W|type:landmark|name=Logan Martin Hydroelectric Generating Plant}}

|128,250 kW

Lay Hydroelectric Generating Plant

|Clanton, Alabama

|{{coord|32|57|48.58|N|86|31|6.14|W|type:landmark|name=Lay Hydroelectric Generating Plant}}

|177,000 kW

Mitchell Hydroelectric Generating Plant

|Verbena, Alabama

|{{coord|32|48|20.33|N|86|26|43.08|W|type:landmark|name=Mitchell Hydroelectric Generating Plant}}

|170,000 kW

Jordan Hydroelectric Generating Plant

|Wetumpka, Alabama

|{{coord|32|37|8.23|N|86|15|21.20|W|type:landmark|name=Jordan Hydroelectric Generating Plant}}

|100,000 kW

Bouldin Hydroelectric Generating Plant

|Wetumpka, Alabama

|{{coord|32|35|4.62|N|86|16|58.51|W|type:landmark|name=Bouldin Hydroelectric Generating Plant}}

|225,000 kW

colspan="4"|Tallapoosa River
Plant

!Nearest City

!Coordinates

!Capacity

Harris Hydroelectric Generating Plant

|Lineville, Alabama

|{{coord|33|15|30.20|N|85|36|54.73|W|type:landmark|name=Harris Hydroelectric Generating Plant}}

|135,000 kW

Martin Hydroelectric Generating Plant

|Tallassee, Alabama

|{{coord|32|40|47.69|N|85|54|36.88|W|type:landmark|name=Martin Hydroelectric Generating Plant}}

|154,200 kW

Yates Hydroelectric Generating Plant

|Tallassee, Alabama

|{{coord|32|34|26.96|N|85|53|22.99|W|type:landmark|name=Yates Hydroelectric Generating Plant}}

|45,500 kW

Thurlow Hydroelectric Generating Plant

|Tallassee, Alabama

|{{coord|32|32|5.46|N|85|53|15.88|W|type:landmark|name=Thurlow Hydroelectric Generating Plant}}

|85,000 kW

colspan="4"|Black Warrior River
Plant

!Nearest City

!Coordinates

!Capacity

Smith Hydroelectric Generating Plant

|Jasper, Alabama

|{{coord|33|56|30.63|N|87|6|31.95|W|type:landmark|name=Smith Hydroelectric Generating Plant}}

|157,500 kW

Bankhead Hydroelectric Generating Plant

|Northport, Alabama

|{{coord|33|27|28.27|N|87|21|19.94|W|type:landmark|name=Bankhead Hydroelectric Generating Plant}}

|53,985 kW

Holt Hydroelectric Generating Plant

|Holt, Alabama

|{{coord|33|15|18.64|N|87|26|58.65|W|type:landmark|name=Holt Hydroelectric Generating Plant}}

|49,000 kW

=Nuclear plants=

class="wikitable" width="75%"

!Plant

!Nearest City

!Coordinates

!Capacity

Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Generating Station

|Dothan, Alabama

|{{coord|31|13|23.32|N|85|6|47.85|W|type:landmark|name=Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Electric Generating Plant}}

|1,720,000 kW

=Cogeneration and other plants=

class="wikitable" width="75%"

!Plant

!Nearest City

!Coordinates

!Capacity

Theodore Cogen Facility

|Theodore, Alabama

|

|273,870 kW

Washington County Cogen Facility

|McIntosh, Alabama

|

|122,579 kW

Sabic Cogen Facility

|Burkville, Alabama

|{{coord|32|18|29.65|N|86|31|6.43|W|type:landmark|name=GE Plastics Cogen Facility}}

|105,100 kW

Powell Avenue Steam PlantAlabama Power Company; James L. Noles Jr., James L. Noles, 2001; {{ISBN|0-7385-1354-7}}

|Birmingham, Alabama

|

|n/a - steam production only

See also

References

  • {{cite book|last=Atkins|first=Leah Rawl|title="Developed for the Service of Alabama" - The Centennial History of the Alabama Power Company 1906-2006|year=2006|publisher=Alabama Power Company|location=Birmingham, Alabama|isbn=978-0-9786753-0-1}}
  • {{cite book|last=Jackson|first=Harvey H. III|title=Putting Loafing Streams To Work-The Building of Lay, Mitchell, Martin, and Jordan Dams, 1910-1929|year=1997|publisher=The University of Alabama Press|location=Tuscaloosa, Alabama|isbn=0-8173-0879-2}}

Notes

{{Reflist|40em}}