Alabama Power
 | |
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Electricity |
| Founded | 1906 |
| Headquarters |
Birmingham, Alabama, USA Alabama Power Headquarters Complex |
Key people |
Mark Crosswhite, Chief Executive Officer and President Phil Raymond, Chief Financial Officer[1] |
| Products | Electric power |
| Revenue | US$5.9 billion (2014) [2] |
Number of employees | 6,552 (2010)[3] |
| Parent | Southern Company |
| Website |
www |
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.[3] 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 78,000 miles (126,000 km) of power lines carry electricity to customers throughout 44,500 square miles (115,000 km2). Alabama Power is the largest taxpayer in Alabama. If the company was a stand-alone entity (as opposed to a subsidiary), it would be the largest company headquartered in Alabama by revenue (currently it is Regions Bank) and would rank #448[4] on the 2015 Fortune 500.
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. In addition to generating electricity, the waters surrounding the plants offer recreational opportunities for Alabama residents and visitors.
Power generating facilities
Fossil fuel plants
| Plant | Nearest City | Coordinates | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| James M. Barry Electric Generating Plant | Bucks, Alabama | 31°00′22″N 88°00′40″W / 31.00611°N 88.01111°W | 2,657,200 kW |
| Gadsden Electric Generating Plant | Gadsden, Alabama | 34°0′46″N 85°58′13″W / 34.01278°N 85.97028°W | 120,000 kW |
| Ernest C. Gaston Electric Generating Plant | Wilsonville, Alabama | 33°14′35″N 86°27′33″W / 33.24306°N 86.45917°W | 1,880,000 kW |
| William Crawford Gorgas Electric Generating Plant | Parrish, Alabama | 33°38′42″N 87°12′01″W / 33.64500°N 87.20028°W | 1,221,250 kW |
| Green County Electric Generating Plant | Demopolis, Alabama | 32°36′06″N 87°46′58″W / 32.60167°N 87.78278°W | 1,220,000 kW |
| James H. Miller, Jr. Electric Generating Plant | West Jefferson, Alabama | 33°37′55″N 87°03′38″W / 33.63194°N 87.06056°W | 2,640,000 kW |
Hydroelectric plants
Nuclear plants
| Plant | Nearest City | Coordinates | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Generating Station | Dothan, Alabama | 31°13′23.32″N 85°6′47.85″W / 31.2231444°N 85.1132917°W | 1,720,000 kW |
Cogeneration and other plants
| 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 | 32°18′29.65″N 86°31′6.43″W / 32.3082361°N 86.5184528°W | 105,100 kW |
| Powell Avenue Steam Plant[5] | Birmingham, Alabama | n/a - steam production only |
Environmental litigation
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.[6] The settlement did not include claims regarding five coal-fired plants.[7] 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. SELC was involved in a case against Duke Energy that was appealed to the Supreme Court in 2006.[8][9]
Corporate citizenship
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[10]
In April 2006, Alabama Power and Southern Company were given the "Outstanding Stewardship of American Rivers Award" by the National Hydropower Association, representing domestic, non-federal hydroelectric producers, for their "Renew Our Rivers" program.[11]
See also
References
- Atkins, Leah Rawl (2006). "Developed for the Service of Alabama" - The Centennial History of the Alabama Power Company 1906-2006. Birmingham, Alabama: Alabama Power Company. ISBN 978-0-9786753-0-1.
- Jackson, Harvey H. III (1997). Putting Loafing Streams To Work-The Building of Lay, Mitchell, Martin, and Jordan Dams, 1910-1929. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: The University of Alabama Press. ISBN 0-8173-0879-2.
Notes
- ↑ "Birmingham's Alabama Power names new chief financial officer". AL.com. 2010-07-28. Retrieved 2012-01-20.
- ↑ http://www.alabamapower.com/about-us/pdf/APC%202014%20ANNUAL%20REPORT.pdf
- 1 2 "Alabama Power Company Fact Card - 2011" (PDF). Alabama Power Company. 2011.
- ↑ http://fortune.com/fortune500/mrc-global-448/
- ↑ Alabama Power Company; James L. Noles, Jr., James L. Noles, 2001; ISBN 0-7385-1354-7
- ↑ Alabama Power Company to Spend More Than $200 Million Under Clean Air Act Settlement
- ↑ Partial Consent Decree, United States District Court Northern District of Alabama Southern Division
- ↑ Legal Action Against Alabama Power
- ↑ Legal Actions Against Duke Energy and Alabama Power
- ↑ Alabama Power Foundation Website
- ↑ National Hydro Power Association