POWERGRAMS

3 JULY Prattville celebrated Independence Day with a Hometown Heroes parade that honored utility lineworkers for "their hard work, dedication and selflessness" during restorations from recent storms, including the EF1 tornado that hit the city in May. Linemen from Alabama Power were grand marshals for the parade, which traveled through downtown from the Autauga County Courthouse to Pratt Park on Saturday morning, July 3. Officials held the parade Saturday because July 4 fell on Sunday in 2021. Alabama Power's Smart Neighborhood project at Reynold's Landing at Ross Bridge in Hoover won a Top Project 2021 award from Environment + Energy Leader. Environment + Energy Leader is an industry resource for news, best practices and research related to energy and sustainability. It was the latest recognition the Smart Neighborhood project has received. PowerSecure designed, engineered and deployed Alabama Power's Smart Neighborhood. The community was built as part of a research initiative to determine what neighborhood and smart home automation could look like in 2040. The Alabama Public Service Commission approved Alabama Power's proposal for an 80-megawatt HEP Greenville solar project in Butler County. The commission also approved a contract between Alabama Power and Wells Fargo to allow the bank to subscribe to a portion of the renewable energy certificates (RECs) from the facility. This solar project is the largest to date under the renewable generation certificate approved by the commission in 2015. Annual output generated from the HEP Greenville solar project will be equivalent to the amount of energy used by nearly 15,000 homes. AUGUST Alabama Power won two Stevie Awards for its inaugural, web-based corporate sustainability report in the 18th Annual International Business Awards program. Winners were selected from more than 3,700 nominations submitted by organizations in 65 countries. Alabama Power won a Gold Stevie, the highest award, in the utilities category while receiving a Silver Stevie in the energy category for websites. Alabama Power released its first corporate sustainability report in April, detailing efforts to meet the needs of customers, employees and communities to create a more prosperous state. Alabama Power and the Alabama Power Foundation awarded grants allowing Goodr to provide 40,000 meals to the metro Birmingham community. Goodr opened the first of four pop-up grocery markets in partnership with the Birmingham Housing Authority, Alabama Power and the foundation. The goal was to serve up to 1,000 Birmingham families experiencing food insecurity. The drive-up markets provided recipients with high-quality, locally sourced food. Families received free groceries, including lean meats and seafood, vegan meat options, shelf stable items, eggs, bread, fruit and vegetables, and beverages. Seven projects supporting the longleaf pine ecosystem in Alabama benefited from grants provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation with support from Alabama Power. The grants support several nonprofits working in Alabama to improve existing longleaf pine forests and create longleaf habitat in the state. In all, 21 grants were awarded to advance longleaf pine habitat restoration across its historic range, which covers portions of Alabama. The grants were expected to establish more than 15,000 new acres of longleaf pine and enhance an additional 400,000 acres of habitat through prescribed burning, invasive species removal and management practices. SEPTEMBER Site Selection magazine named Alabama Power one of the nation's Top 20 Utilities in Economic Development, citing the company's work to recruit industry and create jobs throughout the state. Alabama Power earned the recognition for work done in 2020, when the Economic and Community Development team had a hand in announcements totaling $2 billion in new and expanded capital investment and nearly 3,000 jobs. This included ArcelorMittal's $500 million investment and 300-job expansion at its joint venture with Nippon Steel Corp. near Mobile. Supporting and facilitating economic growth in Alabama has been at the company's core since 1913. Sixteen years to the day that Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Louisiana coast, Hurricane Ida made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. Ida's 150-mph winds tied it for the fifth-strongest hurricane to ever hit the U.S. mainland. In Alabama, the storm affected more than 93,000 Alabama Power customers. Company crews worked diligently to restore power within two days for all customers who were able to receive service. The company's strategic investments in smart grid technology resulted in reducing the time customers were without power by almost 4 million minutes – and some of those affected were restored faster than ever before. Alabama Power and project partners continued to decommission Plant Gorgas in Walker County. Three boiler houses and one vent stack were imploded Sept. 9. Those structures generated electricity for more than a century. This step enabled the company to safely recycle or dispose of the structural assets on site. Plant Gorgas first produced electricity in 1917. As technologies advanced during the 20th century, Plant Gorgas advanced as well, operating up to 10 coal units during its lifespan. The plant was retired in April 2019 as part of company efforts to evolve generation sources to the most balanced, cost-effective energy mix for customers. OCTOBER The Alabama Power Preserves offer 68 public-use spaces across 12 reservoirs with free hiking trails, fishing piers, boat launches, picnic tables and more where you can continue to soak up the great outdoors. Several amenities have been enhanced or added for visitors. Flat Rock Park on Lake Harris boasts an extended nature trail, benches, a pergola with a swing, a gazebo and interpretive signs. D.A.R.E. Park on Lake Martin has a new paved walkway to allow the public to take in beautiful views of the lake. The 1,500-foot walkway features benches and a gazebo where parkgoers can rest. Alabama Power was named the 2021 Corporate Partner of the Year by the NAACP Alabama State Conference at its 69th annual convention. The event highlighted work by people and companies making an impact on Alabama, according to officials of Year in Review continued 68 P U B L I C - U S E S PA C E S

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