POWERGRAMS

INNOVATION Alabama Power's Connectivity Crew is first in nation 20 If you've driven recently on U.S. Highway 31 in the vicinity of Calera, you might have noticed an Alabama Power crew working on the lines and poles along the road. Or maybe you haven't noticed because you take it for granted that Alabama Power crews work continually to meet the needs of customers and enhance the reliability and resilience of the power grid. But this crew is different. In fact, it's the only crew of its kind in the nation, specially trained to install and maintain the fiber infrastructure for expanding broadband access across Alabama. It's Alabama Power's new Connectivity Crew. Prior to the creation of this specialized unit, installing, splicing, testing and activating new fiber- optic cable required three different crews. The Connectivity Crew is the first anywhere to combine all those operations. That's in keeping with Alabama Power's national reputation as an industry leader in innovation — which benefits customers and the entire state. "We're thinking about the grid of tomorrow," said Scott Moore, senior vice president of Power Delivery for Alabama Power. "Fiber is the key to how we'll best serve our customers in the future. This is a historic investment that makes our grid stronger and more secure, and it puts Alabama Power at the leading edge of fiber deployment and buildout." Faster deployment of broadband brings numerous benefits. It enhances the security and reliability of the power grid, which helps ensure that schools, hospitals and businesses of all sizes and types have the power they need to operate. It helps narrow the digital divide in rural Alabama, expanding access to educational and informational resources to improve the lives of Alabamians. It creates more opportunities for entrepreneurs and in-demand jobs and professions. "This will benefit our customers in multiple ways," said Arnab Ghosal, Alabama Power's general manager of Grid Inform and Connectivity. "We want to continue to innovate and contribute to big solutions that impact Alabama not only from a grid perspective, but also in terms of economic development opportunities. We think that other utilities across the country will follow our model." Deployment of the Connectivity Crew — from concept and program design through training — is the latest step in a process that began in 2018. That's when Alabama Power began developing a plan for replacing its aging fiber infrastructure with one that opens new avenues of connection and opportunity to growing numbers of Alabamians. Ultimately, that plan encompassed numerous departments and led to the creation of a certified training program for connectivity linemen — the team now being deployed. "We're writing a new chapter for Alabama Power," said Adam Carr, grid investment manager. "It's exciting to be part of this team, and to think about what it means to this company and the state of Alabama." That sense of pride and excitement is evident in every Alabama Power employee who has been involved in the process that culminated in creating and launching the Connectivity Crew. Yvonne Essix, general manager of Shared Services, sees it as both an affirmation of the company's historic role in moving Alabama forward and a demonstration of its commitment to the future. "Alabama Power is known for finding new and innovative ways to leverage technology to do our jobs more effectively and serve our customers better," Essix said. "Fiber is essential to the future, so having our company at the forefront of that is exciting. I couldn't be prouder to be a part of it." Putting the new crew to work also involved a new agreement between Alabama Power and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), of which all the company's linemen are

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