Alabama Power projects, initiatives, highlighted in 2015 Green Progress Report
Renew Our Rivers enters its 17th year of keeping Alabama waterways clean. (Nik Layman/Alabama NewsCenter)
Alabama Power’s efforts to expand renewable energy and its long-running Renew Our Rivers campaign are among several company initiatives highlighted in the latest Green Progress Report, issued annually by the nonprofit Green Resource Center for Alabama.
In 2015, the Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC) approved Alabama Power’s proposal to secure up to 500 megawatts of renewable energy generation over the next six years. The proposal was one of the top three projects of the year as highlighted in the Green Progress Report.
The report also cited the company’s plans to install solar generation projects at Anniston Army Depot and Fort Rucker. Both projects are expected to break ground this spring. The two solar projects are expected to produce a combined 20 megawatts of electricity – enough energy to supply about 4,200 homes. The company will have the ability to use the energy and the associated renewable energy credits, or sell them – together or separately – to benefit customers. The military projects are the first ones approved by the PSC under the 500-megawatt renewable energy proposal.
The Renew Our Rivers initiative celebrated 16 years in 2015. Launched with a single river cleanup in Gadsden, the program has since expanded to include cleanups in four Southeast states. To date, some 100,000 volunteers have collected more than 14 million pounds of trash and debris. Over 30 cleanups are scheduled this year in Alabama alone.
“We are fortunate to have so many people and organizations supporting the cause,” Matt Bowden, Alabama Power’s vice president of Environmental Affairs said in a news release announcing the 2016 Renew Our Rivers schedule. “It is especially exciting to see a new generation of younger volunteers getting involved in the stewardship of our lakes and rivers.”
Those stewardship efforts are reflected in the Students to Stewards grant program, operated by the Alabama Power Foundation and also cited in the new Green Progress Report. The program provides funds to schools and nonprofit organizations to support a range of projects, from student environmental field studies to the construction of outdoor classrooms.
The Alabama Power Foundation’s Good Roots program was also highlighted in the new Green Progress Report. Last year, 44 grants totaling more than $40,000 helped support the planting of trees in communities across the state.
Alabama Power’s effort to restore a more natural flow along a 20-mile section of the Coosa River near Weiss Lake also is cited in the Green Progress Report. The company worked in partnership with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other stakeholders on the project, which has made it possible to reintroduce native fish and mollusk species into the that section of the river. The improved flow is also expected to enhance recreational opportunities on that section of the Coosa.
An Alabama Power initiative designed to encourage millennials, ages 21 to 35, to get involved in community projects also was cited in this year’s Green Progress Report. MIX launched in 2015 in Birmingham with events supporting the nonprofit Freshwater Land Trust, Railroad Park and Red Mountain Park. Another event brought millennials together to discuss renewable energy.
Scenes from Alabama Power’s first MIX Night Out at Trim Tab Brewing Company. (Meg McKinney/Alabama NewsCenter)
MIX events are already scheduled for 2016 and could expand soon to include other Alabama cities.
Alabama Power or the Alabama Power Foundation were involved in a number of other projects listed in the Green Progress Report, from Birmingham’s new ZYP public bikeshare program, to the CommuteSmart program that encouraged carpooling and vanpooling to reduce traffic and automobile emissions.
Click here to view the complete, 2015 Green Progress Report, as well as Green Progress Reports from past years. To learn more about the Green Resource Center for Alabama, visit www.grcalabama.org.
