The Alabama Control Center (ACC) is celebrating a century of operating the transmission system with an exhibit in the Power Gallery in Corporate Headquarters.

“100 Years of Electric System Operations” honors the strides the group has made since its first day in business in 1914.

The ACC monitors and controls Alabama Power’s transmission system and operates all of the company hydro plants. Every day, operators make numerous adjustments to the grid, ensuring there is enough electricity to meet demand while minimizing waste or loss.

The control center was first known as “Magella” because it was in the Magella Transmission Substation in southwest Birmingham. In 1977, it was moved to Corporate Headquarters and called the Alabama Control and Dispatch Center (ACDC) until the consolidation of each division’s control center in 1995, when it became the ACC.

“Electric System Operations has been an integral part of our business for the past century,” said Transmission Interconnections & Operations General Manager Ron Parsons. “This exhibit is an excellent opportunity to not only celebrate the past 100 years, but also promote the great work the ACC does and the technological advances they have made.”

The interactive exhibit focuses on people, facilities, technology and the electric system. Artifacts assembled during the past 100 years and historic images displayed include:

• Dalton 10-key hand-crank adding machine
• Switch
• Edison Voice Writer
• GE alternating current ammeter
• Thomson astatic voltmeter.

“Most people are unaware of the crucial role the ACC plays in the management of electricity,” Parsons said. “We are excited to not only tell the story of the ACC, but also to celebrate what we have accomplished and the people who have accomplished it over the past century.”