Alabama Power Company

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Alabama Power Company
Type Subsidiary of Southern Company
Founded 1906
Headquarters Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Key people Charles D. McCrary, Chief Executive Officer and President
Arthur P. Beattie, Chief Financial Officer
Industry Electric Utility
Products Electricity
Revenue ▲$5.36 billion USD (2007)
Employees 6,796 (2006)
Website http://www.alabamapower.com/

Alabama Power Company (NYSE: ALF), headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is a company in the southern United States that provides electricity service to 1.3 million homes, businesses, and industries in the southern two-thirds of Alabama. 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 of power lines carry electricity to customers throughout 44,500 square miles.

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.

Contents

[edit] 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[1]

In April 2006, Alabama Power and Southern Company were given the "Outstanding Stewardship of American Rivers Award" by the National Hydropower Association for their "Renew Our Rivers" program.[2]

[edit] 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 $200m to upgrade pollution controls as a partial settlement of this action.[3] The settlement did not include claims regarding five coal fired plants.[4] 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.[5][6]

[edit] Power Generating Facilities

[edit] Fossil Fuel Plants

Plant Nearest City Coordinates Capacity
James M. Barry Electric Generating Plant Bucks, Alabama 31°0′25.72″N, 88°0′33.69″W 2,657,200 kW
Gadsden Electric Generating Plant Gadsden, Alabama 34°0′45.93″N, 85°58′12.51″W 120,000 kW
Ernest C. Gaston Electric Generating Plant Wilsonville, Alabama 33°14′34.64″N, 86°27′33.08″W 1,880,000 kW
William Crawford Gorgas Electric Generating Plant Parrish, Alabama 33°38′42.36″N, 87°12′0.66″W 1,221,250 kW
Green County Electric Generating Plant Demopolis, Alabama 32°36′6.37″N, 87°46′57.58″W 1,220,000 kW
James H. Miller, Jr. Electric Generating Plant West Jefferson, Alabama 33°37′54.69″N, 87°3′37.82″W 2,640,000 kW

[edit] Hydroelectric Plants

Coosa River
Plant Nearest City Coordinates Capacity
Weiss Hydroelectric Generating Plant Leesburg, Alabama 34°7′56.10″N, 85°47′35.76″W 87,750 kW
Henry Hydroelectric Generating Plant Ohatchee, Alabama 33°47′3.16″N, 86°3′7.76″W 72,900 kW
Logan Martin Hydroelectric Generating Plant Vincent, Alabama 33°25′30.66″N, 86°20′11.92″W 128,250 kW
Lay Hydroelectric Generating Plant Clanton, Alabama 32°57′48.58″N, 86°31′6.14″W 177,000 kW
Mitchell Hydroelectric Generating Plant Verbena, Alabama 32°48′20.33″N, 86°26′43.08″W 170,000 kW
Jordan Hydroelectric Generating Plant Wetumpka, Alabama 32°37′8.23″N, 86°15′21.20″W 100,000 kW
Bouldin Hydroelectric Generating Plant Wetumpka, Alabama 32°35′4.62″N, 86°16′58.51″W 225,000 kW
Tallapoosa River
Plant Nearest City Coordinates Capacity
Harris Hydroelectric Generating Plant Lineville, Alabama 33°15′30.20″N, 85°36′54.73″W 135,000 kW
Martin Hydroelectric Generating Plant Tallassee, Alabama 32°40′47.69″N, 85°54′36.88″W 154,200 kW
Yates Hydroelectric Generating Plant Tallassee, Alabama 32°34′26.96″N, 85°53′22.99″W 45,500 kW
Thurlow Hydroelectric Generating Plant Tallassee, Alabama 32°32′5.46″N, 85°53′15.88″W 85,000 kW
Black Warrior River
Plant Nearest City Coordinates Capacity
Smith Hydroelectric Generating Plant Jasper, Alabama 33°56′30.63″N, 87°6′31.95″W 157,500 kW
Bankhead Hydroelectric Generating Plant Northport, Alabama 33°27′28.27″N, 87°21′19.94″W 53,985 kW
Holt Hydroelectric Generating Plant Holt, Alabama 33°15′18.64″N, 87°26′58.65″W 49,000 kW

[edit] Nuclear Plants

Plant Nearest City Coordinates Capacity
Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Electric Generating Plant Dothan, Alabama 31°13′23.32″N, 85°6′47.85″W 1,720,000 kW

[edit] Cogeneration Plants

Plant Nearest City Coordinates Capacity
Theodore Cogen Facility Theodore, Alabama 273,870 kW
Washington County Cogen Facility McIntosh, Alabama 122,579 kW
GE Plastics Cogen Facility Burkville, Alabama 32°18′29.65″N, 86°31′6.43″W 105,100 kW

[edit] Central Business District Steam Plant

Plant Nearest City Coordinates Capacity
Powell Avenue Steam Plant[7] Birmingham, Alabama n/a - steam production only

[edit] 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 0817308792. 

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Alabama Power Foundation Website
  2. ^ National Hydro Power Association
  3. ^ Alabama Power Company to Spend More Than $200 Million Under Clean Air Act Settlement
  4. ^ Partial Consent Decree, United States District Court Northern District of Alabama Southern Division
  5. ^ Legal Action Against Alabama Power
  6. ^ Legal Actions Against Duke Energy and Alabama Power
  7. ^ Alabama Power Company; James L. Noles, Jr., James L. Noles, 2001; ISBN 0738513547