POWERGRAMS

A piece of company history, nearly 100 years old, has been donated to the Alabama Power Archives. The Standard Electric master clock, donated by recent retiree Danny Davis and the Instrument Service Center (ISC), was made specifically for meter test labs, and was integral to the company's operations for more than 60 years. "In my career of over 37 years, I have been fortunate to see many changes in metering – going from electromechanical devices, to hybrid and then to full solid-state metering," Davis said. When Davis joined the General Meter Lab in 1984, there was a jeweler on staff, Jimmy Compton, who kept the intricate, master clock in pristine condition. "Time has always been an integral part of our business in metering," said Davis. "Your meter at home is a kilowatt-hour meter, so we're selling energy over a consumption period of time." Prior to solid-state technology, the master clock was set to Greenwich Mean Time, also known as Coordinated Universal Time. It was used to calibrate meter-testing equipment – to get as close as possible to a 100% reading. "The company generates electricity, which is then put on the transmission system, then the distribution system to residential, commercial and industrial segments – our customers," Davis said. "At that point, the meter is our link to all of those pieces of the company and the customer. Because we receive our revenue from that service, it is crucial for the meters to be accurate." As the company transitioned to hybrid and solid-state metering beginning in the late 1980s, the Standard Electric clock was no longer needed, but was kept safe and cared for at the ISC in Calera, as part of a display of antique metering equipment curated by Davis. "I am a firm believer that to know your future you must know your past," Davis said. "I wanted to capture the history, to make it available to future employees, so they can see the types of equipment we had and as a reminder of what the early days of metering were – to guide where we're going." Davis said much of the equipment, including the master clock, was made to last a lifetime. "You can see the pride and quality that went into each piece of test equipment built during that era … ISC SUPERVISOR RETIRES, DONATES HISTORIC CLOCK TIME Keeping Davis beside the clock used by Alabama Power employees for six decades. Photos by Erin Harney. 29 I

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