POWERGRAMS

7 Eads recalled. "I went every Wednesday on my off day for my other job to see if they would hire me." Eads was soon hired as a laborer sweeping floors. He progressed to Gorgas' fuels manager. Besides three years at Plant Gaston in Wilsonville, Eads spent his entire career at Gorgas. For him, Gorgas was always home. "My job here has provided stability for my family," Eads said. "For some folks, I'm sure it is just a job. But for me, the people I worked with at Gorgas became family." While the culture at Gorgas has remained the same, the plant itself has undergone many changes through the years. As technology advanced, so did Gorgas. Dating back to the early days when Alabama Power operated a coal mine next to the plant, Gorgas was seen as a leader for its advanced mining methods. Even though the company stopped mining coal at Gorgas in 1975, the advances impacted the mining community for years. Gorgas continued making advancements in technology during the construction of its 10 units. With each unit built, Gorgas found a way to run more efficiently. However, the most technologically advanced and efficient unit in the Southern Company coal-fired fleet continues to be Unit 10. Built in 1972, it was the last unit to come online at Gorgas. Now, Unit 10 produces 769 megawatts, quite an increase from Unit One's generating capacity of 30 megawatts in 1917. Today, only Units Eight, Nine and 10 remain in service. Gorgas retired and dismantled Units One, Two and Three in the 1960s and Units Four and Five were retired in in the 1980s. Units Six and Seven were retired in 2015. Through the years, Gorgas has faced changing environmental regulations and mandates affecting how the plant generates electricity. New technologies have made it possible to generate power in a cleaner, more efficient manner. Since the 1990s, Alabama Power has invested nearly $4 billion to comply with federal mandates. Through all of the changes at the plant, Gorgas continues to serve customers and give back to the community. Employees are active in the Gorgas Alabama Power Service Organization Chapter, taking part in Christmas toy drives and supporting local nonprofits throughout Walker County. The plant partners with schools to host job shadowing for students, and encourage the next generation of engineers. "The biggest legacy that Gorgas has to offer is the fact that it has grown so many people over their careers," said Harvey Ivey, vice president of Technical Services at Southern Company Services, who began his career at Gorgas in 1978 as a utilityman. "A lot of people started at Gorgas and developed skills and developed talent and grew their knowledge in a way that has helped them grow in their career. You could list the people who have come through Gorgas, even today, and it would be a very, very long list." For every employee who has passed through the halls of Gorgas, there are many more stories to share. But for Gorgas, the rest of the story is yet to be told. While Gorgas has retired all but three units, this does not erase the century of memories that are engraved on its grounds. Gorgas is more than a power plant. It is the home of generation research, coal mines, environmental conservation and a legacy of dedicated employees. Above all, Gorgas is home to 100 years of Alabama history. "Gorgas is part of the foundation of Alabama Power. Its impact on the company and the state is invaluable," said Jim Heilbron, senior vice president and senior production officer. "During its century of service, Gorgas has transformed the state's economy, strengthened communities and bettered the lives of the people who call Alabama home. It was truly developed for the service of Alabama." Gorgas Steam Plant control room in 1940s, and at right in 1970s.

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