Alabama Power
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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. 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 84,000 miles (135,000 km) of power lines carry electricity to customers throughout a service territory of 44,500 square miles (115,000 km2).
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
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. The settlement did not include claims regarding five coal-fired plants. 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.[needs update] SELC was involved in a case against Duke Energy that was appealed to the Supreme Court in 2006.
As of 2021[update], AP's coal-fired James H. Miller Jr. Electric Generating Plant is the single largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the United States.
Public benefits
In addition to generating electricity, the waters surrounding the plants offer recreational opportunities for Alabama residents and visitors.[citation needed]
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
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.
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.
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/ 31.00611; -88.01111(James M. Barry Electric Generating Plant) | 2,657,200 kW |
| Ernest C. Gaston Electric Generating Plant | Wilsonville, Alabama | 33°14′35″N 86°27′33″W/33.24306°N 86.45917°W/ 33.24306; -86.45917(Ernest C. Gaston Electric Generating Plant) | 1,880,000 kW |
| William Crawford Gorgas Electric Generating Plant | Gorgas, Alabama | 33°38′42″N 87°12′01″W/33.64500°N 87.20028°W/ 33.64500; -87.20028(William Crawford Gorgas Electric Generating Plant) | 1,221,250 kW |
| Greene County Electric Generating Plant | Demopolis, Alabama | 32°36′06″N 87°46′58″W/32.60167°N 87.78278°W/ 32.60167; -87.78278(Green County Electric Generating Plant) | 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/ 33.63194; -87.06056(James H. Miller Jr. Electric Generating Plant) | 2,640,000 kW |
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/34.1322500°N 85.7932667°W/ 34.1322500; -85.7932667(Weiss Hydroelectric Generating Plant) | 87,750 kW |
| Henry Hydroelectric Generating Plant | Ohatchee, Alabama | 33°47′3.16″N 86°3′7.76″W/33.7842111°N 86.0521556°W/ 33.7842111; -86.0521556(Henry Hydroelectric Generating Plant) | 72,900 kW |
| Logan Martin Hydroelectric Generating Plant | Vincent, Alabama | 33°25′30.66″N 86°20′11.92″W/33.4251833°N 86.3366444°W/ 33.4251833; -86.3366444(Logan Martin Hydroelectric Generating Plant) | 128,250 kW |
| Lay Hydroelectric Generating Plant | Clanton, Alabama | 32°57′48.58″N 86°31′6.14″W/32.9634944°N 86.5183722°W/ 32.9634944; -86.5183722(Lay Hydroelectric Generating Plant) | 177,000 kW |
| Mitchell Hydroelectric Generating Plant | Verbena, Alabama | 32°48′20.33″N 86°26′43.08″W/32.8056472°N 86.4453000°W/ 32.8056472; -86.4453000(Mitchell Hydroelectric Generating Plant) | 170,000 kW |
| Jordan Hydroelectric Generating Plant | Wetumpka, Alabama | 32°37′8.23″N 86°15′21.20″W/32.6189528°N 86.2558889°W/ 32.6189528; -86.2558889(Jordan Hydroelectric Generating Plant) | 100,000 kW |
| Bouldin Hydroelectric Generating Plant | Wetumpka, Alabama | 32°35′4.62″N 86°16′58.51″W/32.5846167°N 86.2829194°W/ 32.5846167; -86.2829194(Bouldin Hydroelectric Generating Plant) | 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/33.2583889°N 85.6152028°W/ 33.2583889; -85.6152028(Harris Hydroelectric Generating Plant) | 135,000 kW |
| Martin Hydroelectric Generating Plant | Tallassee, Alabama | 32°40′47.69″N 85°54′36.88″W/32.6799139°N 85.9102444°W/ 32.6799139; -85.9102444(Martin Hydroelectric Generating Plant) | 154,200 kW |
| Yates Hydroelectric Generating Plant | Tallassee, Alabama | 32°34′26.96″N 85°53′22.99″W/32.5741556°N 85.8897194°W/ 32.5741556; -85.8897194(Yates Hydroelectric Generating Plant) | 45,500 kW |
| Thurlow Hydroelectric Generating Plant | Tallassee, Alabama | 32°32′5.46″N 85°53′15.88″W/32.5348500°N 85.8877444°W/ 32.5348500; -85.8877444(Thurlow Hydroelectric Generating Plant) | 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/33.9418417°N 87.1088750°W/ 33.9418417; -87.1088750(Smith Hydroelectric Generating Plant) | 157,500 kW |
| Bankhead Hydroelectric Generating Plant | Northport, Alabama | 33°27′28.27″N 87°21′19.94″W/33.4578528°N 87.3555389°W/ 33.4578528; -87.3555389(Bankhead Hydroelectric Generating Plant) | 53,985 kW |
| Holt Hydroelectric Generating Plant | Holt, Alabama | 33°15′18.64″N 87°26′58.65″W/33.2551778°N 87.4496250°W/ 33.2551778; -87.4496250(Holt Hydroelectric Generating Plant) | 49,000 kW |
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/ 31.2231444; -85.1132917(Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Electric Generating Plant) | 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/ 32.3082361; -86.5184528(GE Plastics Cogen Facility) | 105,100 kW |
| Powell Avenue Steam Plant | Birmingham, Alabama | n/a - steam production only |
See also
- 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.