POWERGRAMS

25 N U C L E A R P L A N T B E G A N S U P P LY I N G P O W E R I N 1 9 7 7 • B Y C H R I S T I N B L A C K B U R N FARLEY AT FORTY Getting older might be an unwelcoming thought for some but for Farley Nuclear Plant, turning 40 is an occasion worth celebrating. Plant Farley sits on 1,850 acres along the Chattahoochee River near Dothan, and has been providing clean, safe, affordable and reliable electricity for four decades. "Our entire company is excited to celebrate 40 years of electricity generation at Farley. I am grateful for the support of our employees, retirees, community and customers," said Farley Vice President Dennis Madison. Plant Farley is named after former Alabama Power President and CEO Joseph McConnell Farley, who blazed the trail for nuclear energy in the state. Construction of the two-unit plant began in 1970 and Unit 1 achieved commercial operation in December 1977. Unit 2 began commercial operation in July 1981. This was a monumental achievement for Alabama Power, owner of Plant Farley: The company was one of the first electric utilities in the Southeast to step foot into the world of nuclear energy. Since then, the plant has generated more than 350 billion kilowatts of electricity for its customers. Farley continues to be an essential component of Alabama Power's generating mix, providing 23 percent of its electricity. Nuclear power in general accounts for three-quarters of all emission-free electricity in the country. Farley provides an economic stimulus to surrounding communities during its planned refueling and maintenance outages that take place every 18 months. Almost 900 employees oversee the day-to-day operations of the plant, but during an outage 800 additional workers arrive on site to perform specialized tasks. In 2005, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission found Plant Farley to be safe, efficient and in line with strict federal operating procedures and issued a license that allowed both Farley units to continue to generate electricity for the next 20 years. Farley has come a long way since its early days. Randy Marlow started as a junior engineer at Farley in 1972 and assisted with the transition from construction to power generation. "I was one of the Alabama Power employees being trained to start up and operate the plant when construction was complete," said the senior engineer. "All of our training was from textbooks and training manuals, with either 35-millimeter film slide projectors or overhead projectors. There were no desktop computers or PowerPoint programs." Being one of the first nuclear plants in the Southeast did not come without its challenges. "During startup, it was not uncommon to trip and restart in the same day," Marlow said. "The plant was new and all the safety systems were in place but we were learning how to operate the plant. It was a tremendous challenge and opportunity to bring a plant on line from rough constructions to an operating plant. I was proud to be a part of the nuclear revolution, building and operating a new source of electrical power for the state." Thanks to the dedication and determination of its employees, Farley continues to make great contributions to its community and the state. While 40 years of operational excellence is an achievement in the nuclear industry, the plant's long-standing commitment to the environment is also worth celebrating. In 1992, Farley was named a certified wildlife habitat by the Wildlife Habitat Council. Since Farley's inception, a land management plan has been in place to improve the environment for waterfowl, songbirds, deer and plant life. Farley has a successful nesting program, with 30 bluebird boxes on site and a partnership with local schools for students to watch the nests. In a continued effort to better educate the public on how nuclear plants generate electricity, Farley employees completed the final phases of its Energy Education Center (EEC) renovations this year. The center improvements include everything from upgraded visuals to iPad applications. Farley Communications Coordinator Mike Doherty has given hundreds of tours for schools, businesses and government officials and has received a lot of positive feedback. "Visitors to the EEC are wowed by what they see as soon as they walk in the door," Doherty said. "Vivid colors, hands-on displays and new technology draw them in, and they all seem eager to learn. Many of our guests have been here before and are amazed at the way the center looks today as opposed to the last time they were here." Farley employees are just as committed to giving back to their community. They annually raise money for the Wiregrass United Way, which serves over 200,000 people across six counties in the Dothan area. Employees collect items to donate to the Wiregrass foster agencies and they take part in projects such as Habitat for Humanity, Relay for Life, March of Dimes and the Renew Our Rivers cleanup campaign. Madison believes the future for Farley is brighter than ever. "With the continued dedication of our team at Farley, we look forward to operating safely for many years to come." Plant Farley is near Dothan

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