Issue link: https://alabamapower.uberflip.com/i/921986
6 Plant to commemorate its 100th anniversary. Current and former employees joined together for lunch and fellowship as they recounted the rich history of Gorgas and its impact on Walker County and Alabama over the past century. During the program, a painting commissioned for the centennial celebration was unveiled. The painting will reside in the lobby of the Gorgas main office over the next year. NOVEMBER The Alabama Business Charitable (ABC) Trust Fund celebrated 25 years of providing families assistance in paying energy bills during times of dire need. It also marked a quarter- century of supporting programs that promote energy efficiency for nonprofit organizations and low- income households. Since it was created in 1992, the ABC Trust has provided more than $31 million in energy assistance funding to Alabamians. The company originally teamed with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs and community action agencies across the state. Today, the Trust provides energy assistance through several programs, including Home Forward Energy Grants and Efficiency Forward Grants. Since its inception, ABC has helped more than 100,000 households in Alabama. ……………… About 350 Alabama Power line and support personnel from all parts of the state spent six days traveling to and returning from Worcester, Massachusetts to assist National Grid power company restore power after more than 640,000 customers faced outages after a massive windstorm caused by remnants of Tropical Storm Philippe the night before Halloween. The APC team spent a night in Durham, North Carolina, then traveled along the Eastern Seaboard before reaching their destination in Massachusetts. Many residents whose power was reconnected posted notes of thanks on Twitter, Facebook and other social media. Alabama Power released an additional 200 overhead contract linemen to help with the restoration efforts of Eversource Energy in Connecticut. ……………… The Electric Power and Research Institute (EPRI) announced on Nov. 6 that Alabama Power had been awarded the Energy and Environment Sector Technology Transfer Award to be presented at the national convention in March 2018. The award is for leadership and support evaluating water quality monitors for flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater. "Because of your vision and leadership, performance tests conducted under this project contributed to understanding the technical challenges and improvements needed for water quality monitors to detect toxic metals in FGD wastewaters in advance of anticipated stricter limitations," wrote Rob Chapman, the vice president of EPRI's Energy and Environment division. "Accurate monitoring of real-time fluctuations in water quality will enable FGD wastewater treatment system operators (nationwide) to make quick adjustment to system performance and mitigate discharge permit violations." DECEMBER With the help of Alabama Power Service Organization chapters across the state, employees were able to make Christmas dreams come true for thousands of underprivileged children and senior citizens. APSO members held fundraising events throughout 2017 to raise the money used to purchase gifts, including clothing, books and toys, and also provide holiday meals for needy families and the organizations that serve them. ……………… Alabama Power was first in the South in the J.D. Power 2017 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study, receiving the highest score for a utility in the nation. With an 819 score, APC was among five utilities to ever score above 800 in the 19 years of the J.D. Power annual studies. Utilities nationwide averaged 765 points. APC crews assisted utilities in flood-ravaged Houston, Texas.