POWERGRAMS

busINEss FORum 4 In an ever-changing industry, Alabama Power's Generation team is focused on innovation and flexibility as it continues to provide reliable, low-cost energy to customers. That was the message of Senior Vice President and Senior Production Officer Jim Heilbron at the 2014 Business Forum. Heilbron and his guests spoke about the challenges and innovative responses of the company regarding future regulations, fuel price volatility, maintaining fleet readiness and maintaining flexibility for new challenges. "Regulations will heavily impact how we generate moving forward. How are we working to comply with these rules on our coal units?" Heilbron asked Plant Gorgas Manager Susan Mayfield and Plant Gaston Manager Brian Heinfeld. Mayfield said the upcoming Mercury and Air Toxics Standards are only one piece of the compliance puzzle. In addition to existing environmental controls installed in the early 2000s to significantly reduce nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, baghouses are being installed at Gorgas and Gaston. When construction is complete – scheduled for 2016 – these baghouses will reduce mercury on the largest units at both plants. In addition to baghouses, Heinfeld said Plant Gaston is adding gas capabilities to expand its fuel flexibility. The plant is installing a 32-mile pipeline – a portion of which runs under the Coosa River. With similar projects to expand fuel options and add environmental controls underway at most Alabama Power plants, these changes will impact future planning on how and when to use certain units – all while focusing on keeping overall costs to the customer as low as possible. Heilbron stressed, "These changes will introduce new operational and maintenance issues, but our folks are up for the challenge." With 2014 being the "year of the outage" (a term for planned maintenance), teamwork and planning will be key to maintaining reliability while being able to service units, Heilbron said. Generation's legacy of innovation and flexibility – with roots in the company's earliest hydro projects – will be paramount as the team continues meeting new challenges. "Our legacy and our future – they are all our responsibility," said Vice President of Human Resources and Ethics Jonathan Porter. "No one of us can build that, not without each other. And if we all have that same vision, we will get there together." Porter shared his belief that companies can't be great without great people, and that Alabama Power can't be its best without paying attention to changes in the workforce and employee expectations. "We need to do what's right for people," Porter said. "From the time they are interested in a career with Alabama Power, until after they leave us. Not from hire date to retirement. From before they come on board and long after they are gone. Employees don't become people when we start writing them checks – they are people before we get to know them." Porter wrapped up with a call for supervisors to play an active role in connecting our legacy and our future, by developing tomorrow's leaders. He then introduced Anne Loehr, a corporate consultant and coach who specializes in helping organizations identify talented people and maximize their potential. Her talk, "Engage Every Age," connected the dots between generations, and promoted a greater understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each major demographic group. "In order to get the generations to work together, you have to be able to treat each one a little differently," Loehr said. Heilbron's focus on innovation, flexibility Porter urges taking care of employees Heilbron heads Generation team. Porter heads Human Resources and Ethics. Loehr

• Cover