POWERGRAMS

From its humble beginnings 100 years ago in a Birmingham community that no longer exists to its state-of-the-art facility where every aspect of Alabama Power intersects today, Electric Systems Operations have been the linchpin to keeping the power on in Alabama. Current and previous employees of the Alabama Control Center and those who support them turned out for a centennial celebration Oct. 14 at Corporate Headquarters. "What you do is absolutely critical to us serving our customers in a reliable, affordable way and you've been doing it for 100 years," Chairman, President and CEO Mark Crosswhite told those gathered at the event. "You've got a great legacy and a great tradition and we are all very honored to be on your team." It was 1914 when Alabama Power connected its power generation lines from Lay Dam and Gadsden Steam Plant to a substation and control center at the base of Red Mountain in the town of Magella southwest of Birmingham. The Magella substation remains today, but the community was long ago absorbed by Birmingham. The original building still stands at the Magella substation, though it is vacant. It has evolved and been replaced by a high- security underground facility now known as the Alabama Control Center. Highly trained professionals use computers and large video screens to monitor the electrical loads and health of the entire system. They work with district control centers and field employees to keep the power humming 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. "One of the things we always have difficulty doing is sharing with others who we are or even where we are, and that's by design," said Ron Parsons, Transmission Interconnections and Operations general manager. Parsons, who has been with Alabama Power for more than 40 years, said technology has made major leaps. The number of generation facilities, substations and miles of lines have continued to grow but it is the people who work for the ACC that have changed the least, he said. "We have shared a common bond with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences and the single goal of serving our customers with reliable energy," Parsons told ACC employees. "The people are really what we're celebrating. I've visited other systems and seen how they do what we do and I can tell you without hesitation that you do it better than anybody else." Executive Vice President Steve Spencer said the reliability the ACC maintains is a key contributor to Alabama Power's top ranking in industry customer satisfaction surveys and plays a major role in Alabama's economic development. "There is nobody who does it better and you do it invisibly," Spencer said at the employee banquet. "I can't tell you how much we appreciate what you do for our customers and for the state of Alabama." Spencer praised the work of the ACC retirees who returned for the centennial celebration. "Thank you for the foundation you laid," Spencer said. As the electrical systems have become more high-tech and complex, those who manage the Alabama Power system either during a major outage or in normal day- to-day operations have had to perfect their own individual skills and the teamwork that exists with co-workers. Multitasking in some of the most extreme, high-pressure conditions is just part of the job. Transmission Vice President Scott Moore said the team has never been stronger. "Everything we do has a meaning," he said. "Positive control of the transmission system is the foundation on which our history of success is built. The 100-year mark is something for us all to be proud of as we continue to march along into the future." Parsons recalled a recent documentary on Muscle Shoals' Fame recording studio and the impact it has had on music. A backup singer in the documentary said, "you never know when you're making history." Parsons saw that as true for the ACC. "I appreciate all of the history all of you here have helped make," he said. By Mike Tomberlin Alabama Control Center marks 100 years as reliability linchpin 100% CONNECTED 5 Magella substation and control center opened at base of Red Mountain in 1914. Pete Sides, load dispatcher, 1932.

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