POWERGRAMS

41 LONGTIME GORGAS EMPLOYEES The United States entry into World War I dominated newspaper headlines in 1917. The same year, closer to home, Gorgas Steam Plant went into operation on the banks of the Mulberry Fork of the Warrior River in Walker County. The plant would go on to safely produce reliable and affordable electricity for more than a century until costly, federal environmental mandates led to its retirement in April. Government regulations related to the handling of coal ash and waste water are the main cause behind Alabama Power's decision to close Gorgas, said Jim Heilbron, vice president and senior production officer. "We recognize that Plant Gorgas and the men and women who have operated it have brought great value to Alabama Power, our customers and the local community," Heilbron said. 'YOU SEE YOUR LIFE' In 1915, tensions continued to rise in Europe and war looked inevitable. President Woodrow Wilson began working to shift the country's economic focus to war munitions. Alabama Power President James Mitchell anticipated an increased need for electricity and decided the company needed a backup system to support its hydro- power production on the Coosa River. Mitchell chose to build a plant in Walker County outside Jasper to be near the Black Warrior River and coal mines. Construction began in 1916 on what was then called the Warrior Reserve Steam Plant. In 1944, the plant was officially renamed and dedicated to Dr. William Crawford Gorgas, who worked to eradicate yellow fever. Through the years, older Alabama Power generating units have been dismantled and replaced. In total, 10 different units operated at Gorgas during its 101 years. Electrical and Instrumentation (E&I) Journeyman Calvin Mickens said he can picture in his mind co-workers working in units, some of which no longer exist at the plant. Mickens, who lives in Pleasant Grove, started with Alabama Power in 1984 and has worked at Gorgas, Miller and Gaston steam plants. "I've been underground at this plant to the top of it and watched as they took down [units] six and seven," Mickens said. "You see your life in that. I can visualize people walking into unit five, six or seven when I first got here at Gorgas. I can see people on (units) eight, nine and 10 who I worked with over the years, some who have passed on." Unit two was constructed during World War I to provide additional power to the federal government's Haber experimental nitrate plant in Muscle Shoals. Units three and four were added in the Roaring '20s, while units six, seven, eight and nine were added in the 1950s. Unit 10 came online in 1972. As the newest unit, it was also the most technologically advanced and efficient. At the time of Gorgas' closing, only units eight, nine and 10 were in use. Operations Team Leader Billy McKay said advances in technology were among the biggest changes at Gorgas through the years. McKay lives in Jasper and started with the company in 1977. He has worked at Gorgas, Miller, Gaston and Greene County steam plants. "Technology has helped us more than anything. It's how you look at things. It's all digital. Everything is precise and perfect," McKay said. McKay said a greater emphasis was put on safety over time. "The safety aspect has changed. It's the priority," McKay said. "Back in the day, you might have just been told to do something. You had to figure out how to do it safely, but that's all changed." Mickens agreed that technology and safety have been at the forefront of advancements. "So much more of our field devices are more high-tech than they were in the past. Mickens McKay

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