POWERGRAMS

36 Reaching one's 50-year anniversary of work is quite an accomplishment. When Larry Clark's friends ask about his retirement plans, he's quick to say that's out of the question: He simply has too much work to do. On Dec. 15, 2017, Clark marked a half-century of service to Alabama Power. Throughout the years, he's been responsible for the operation and maintenance of substations, and for planning, operation and maintenance of the electric distribution system. Clark knows the company's electric system like the back of his hand. He began his career with Alabama Power in 1967 as a student engineer while continuing his electrical engineering studies at the University of South Alabama. "I was the first student engineer on the system," said Clark, who will be 71 in April. Upon graduation in 1970, Clark worked in Mobile for several years before moving to Corporate Headquarters. In 1989, he was tasked with helping improve the operations of the distribution system. Clark supported the deployment of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), and automation and switching technologies, and the development of the integrated distribution management system (IDMS). "IDMS was a significant development in the electric industry," said Clark, principal engineer for Power Delivery (PD) - Distribution Management Systems. "The paper and pencil are just a holdover from when maps were on the wall. IDMS provides a fully integrated operational view on the operator's desktop console." Clark managed the distribution electronic mapboard (EMB), an in-house predecessor of IDMS. EMB provided the first electronic switching view for the operator, while switching through SCADA with remote control substations and distribution line devices. MILESTONE Here's to 50 Years NO SLOWDOWN FOR CLARK AFTER HALF-CENTURY by Donna Cope PHOTOS by PHIL FREE Clark consults with Distribution System Operator Dan Mosley in Birmingham.

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