Alabama Power customers to get $62 million in rebates
On Tuesday, the Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC) voted to give $62 million back to Alabama Power Company customers. After reviewing Alabama Power’s financials, the PSC determined that the utility had overestimated fuel costs this winter. The vote to rebate the funds was a 3 to 0 vote at the PSC’s most recent meeting. The PSC regulates state-licensed monopolies. Alabama Power Company is guaranteed by the PSC to make a profit, but it cannot price gouge its customers. Alabama Power Customers are expected to get a credit on their August bills of about $20. “I think a direct refund is the best way to proceed here, but I also believe the refund would be more impactful if it is made during the summer when residential usage and, therefore, their bills are higher and would equate to a larger return for those consumers,” said Public Service Commission President Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh during the meeting. The purpose of the Alabama Public Service Commission is to provide a balance between regulated companies and consumers to provide consumers with safe, adequate, and reliable services at affordable rates. The PSC approved three rate increases for Alabama Power during 2022 due to rising fuel costs. The entities regulated by the APSC include privately owned corporations providing electric, gas, and water service to the public and select providers of telecommunication and wastewater services. Additionally, railroads, buses, trucking companies, and taxis operating outside police jurisdictions on a for-hire basis remain under the oversight of the APSC. Effective July 1, 2018, Transportation Network Companies were placed under the jurisdiction of the APSC pursuant to Alabama Legislative Act 2018-127. The APSC has a staff of 66. The PSC is governed by a president and two associate commissioners who are elected on a statewide basis. Each commissioner is elected to serve a four-year term, with the president’s term staggered by two years from the associate commissioners’ terms. The other two commissioners, Jeremy Oden and Chip Beeker, were just reelected in 2022. Cavanaugh faces voters in the 2024 presidential election. The State of Alabama has two primary electric power generators – the Alabama Power Company (a division of the Southern Company) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Because TVA is an entity of the federal government and the U.S. Constitution gives federal law supremacy over state law, the APSC does not have regulatory authority over TVA. Alabama Power has 1.5 million customers. Twenty-five percent of the company’s power is generated by burning oil and natural gas, 43 percent is produced by burning coal, 24 percent is nuclear, and 8 percent is produced through hydroelectric dams. 24.34% of Alabama Power’s costs are spent on fuel and purchased power. The company has total revenues of $5,678,066,345. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Dale Strong, Mo Brooks criticize TVA for winter storm rolling blackouts
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is facing backlash from leaders and citizens across the state after rolling blackouts occurred during the winter storm late last week. In its 90-year history, this is the first time the energy company has instituted rolling blackouts and cut power to customers in several states, including customers in north Alabama. “We at TVA take full responsibility for the impact we had on our customers. We never want to impact anyone’s energy at any time. This is not the way we want to serve our communities and customers,” TVA said in a press release. “We are conducting a thorough review of what occurred and why. We are committed to sharing these lessons learned and – more importantly – the corrective actions we take in the weeks ahead to ensure we are prepared to manage significant events in the future.” Winter storm “Elliott” strained power grids across the nation. The storm had record-breaking cold temperatures and high winds. The event produced the highest winter power peak in TVA history. TVA said it takes full responsibility for the issues experienced and vowed to thoroughly review the incident. “We will learn from this unprecedented event and are committed to providing you with the reliable service you expect and deserve,” the release stated. Some officials in Alabama blame TVA’s pursuit of “green energy” and its failure to complete the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant in Jackson County and closing other power sources in the state. On Twitter, Rep. Mo Brooks stated, “#TVA mandates rolling blackouts in frigid weather. TVA should finish #Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant – worst federal boondoggle in history. BILLIONS $$ misspent. ZERO power production. Citizens need power to heat homes, not lump of coal for Christmas.” Rep. Brooks told 1819 News, “There’s a big picture and a smaller picture. The big picture is that the TVA Board of Directors and officers have shifted away from more reliable energy sources such as nuclear and coal to exotics such as wind and solar. Coal and nuclear are cheaper, thus saving TVA citizens on their utility bills. Notwithstanding that, TVA has shifted in favor of exotics that are both less reliable and more expensive.” Brooks referred to the abandonment of the Bellefonte Nuclear Facility as an example of the “shift.” “Bellefonte Nuclear Facility is one of the, if not the, worst federal boondoggles of all time given the billions of dollars in cost, paid for by TVA ratepayers, without a single watt of electricity having been generated,” Brooks said. In 2020, TVA began offering local power companies a long-term partnership option that includes the flexibility for them to meet a portion of their power needs through their own generating sources. Huntsville Utilities recently announced a new green initiative allowing the company to purchase electricity from a Toyota Tsusho, the first time the company will purchase power from a company other than TVA. At the time, TVA President and CEO Jeff Lyash explained that the TVA supported green initiatives. “Over the past few months, we collaborated with our new Valley Partners to develop a set of principles to help them serve some of their own customers’ requests for cleaner energy,” Lyash said. “Among the principles we’ve jointly developed, up to 5% of a partner’s average energy needs can be met by new distributed energy solutions built in their own service territory, ultimately helping TVA’s carbon reduction efforts in the future.” U.S. Rep-elect Dale Strong also criticized the abandonment of the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant. “Over the last several years, the Tennessee Valley Authority has declined to pursue completing the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant and closed two coal-fired plants in North Alabama. When each of these decisions were made, we were assured the TVA had plenty of generating capacity to power the Tennessee Valley,” Strong told 1819 News. “In light of the recent rolling blackouts across north Alabama, I would like to hear from TVA on the status of current capacity,” he added. “It is my goal to ensure we have enough power capacity to meet current and future needs so that North Alabamians do not have to experience rolling blackouts during a winter storm again.” The Tennessee Valley Authority withdrew its construction permit for the project in 2021. The project actually began in the 1970s and was halted in the late 1980s. TVA sold it to a company headed by the Haney family, but recently a federal judge canceled that five-year-old deal. Franklin Haney offered to buy the plant for roughly $111 million — a fraction of the TVA’s estimated $6 billion investment. After accepting the deal, the TVA backed out, claiming Haney failed to get the proper permits. “Had TVA completed Bellefonte themselves or cooperated with Franklin Haney, who is willing to complete it, we would have more electricity being generated in the TVA region and be less likely to have the rolling blackouts we just saw,” Brooks said. “On a side benefit perspective, Jackson County really needed Bellefonte to be completed and operational because it would have been producing a lot of jobs that pay over $100,000 per year.” The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency that provides electricity for business customers and local power distributors, serving nearly 10 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA receives no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity.
Huntsville Utilities to purchase solar power from Toyota Tsusho
Huntsville Utilities recently announced a new green initiative that is a first for the company. AL.com reported that the company will purchase electricity from a Toyota Tsusho, the first time the company will purchase power from a company other than Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). According to CEO Wes Kelley, it will save money too. Huntsville Utilities is the 16th largest municipal gas provider in the U.S. and the 18th largest municipal electric provider in the U.S. Huntsville city council unanimously approved an agreement for Huntsville Utilities to purchase power from Toyota Tsusho, which is building a solar power facility near Toyota Motor Manufacturing in north Huntsville. “This is the first green initiative of renewable power that Huntsville Utilities has been directly party to,” Kelley told the council. In 2020, the city council approved a power supply flexibility agreement with TVA. That agreement allowed Huntsville Utilities to purchase up to 5% of its electricity from a source other than TVA. TVA began offering local power companies a long-term partnership option that includes the flexibility for them to meet a portion of their power needs through their own generating sources. At the time, TVA President and CEO Jeff Lyash explained that the TVA supported green initiatives. “Over the past few months, we collaborated with our new Valley Partners to develop a set of principles to help them serve some of their own customers’ requests for cleaner energy,” stated Lyash. “Among the principles we’ve jointly developed, up to 5% of a partner’s average energy needs can be met by new distributed energy solutions built in their own service territory, ultimately helping TVA’s carbon reduction efforts in the future.” In September, the Huntsville City Council approved a resolution by Huntsville Utilities and TVA to finish capital projects totaling more than 100 million dollars, WHNT.com reported. With recent frustration over high energy prices, neither company promised the projects would alleviate the problem. The solar project with Toyota is small. Kelley said the solar development will generate up to 30 megawatts of electricity which could power about 4,000 homes. The power purchase agreement would cover about 40% of the 5% flexibility that Huntsville Utilities has to purchase power from a non-TVA source, Kelley said. Huntsville Utilities will also build a $2.6 million substation to connect with the solar development. That project is supposed to be completed in February 2024. The agreement approved by the council authorizes Huntsville Utilities to purchase power from the Toyota solar development at $43.85 per megawatt hour with a 1.5% escalator annually for 30 years. “It is at a price lower than what we are paying TVA,” Kelley said. “Of course, solar doesn’t generate 24 hours a day, though, so it’s a bit of an apples and oranges comparison. But certainly, it is not only a green initiative, it’s a great partnership with Toyota. And it is cost-effective for our ratepayers.” Kelly’s letter to the council stated, “If TVA were to raise its base rate an average of half a percent a year and increase the fuel cost adjustment by half a percent, the project would provide nearly $500,000 in savings for HU each year. If TVA rates only increase by one-tenth of a percentage point each year over 30 years, then the project would provide less than $200,000 in savings each year. Many variables would change this calculation, but the significant ones are the solar panels’ energy output and TVA’s future rates. The more energy produced, the less power HU purchases from TVA. The higher TVA’s rates rise, the better value this agreement provides.” “Aside from the financial savings, this project would be the largest “flexibility” project in the Tennessee Valley,” the letter continued. “It demonstrates Huntsville’s interest in renewable energy and creating green power options for HU customers.” The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency that provides electricity for business customers and local power distributors, serving nearly 10 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA receives no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity.
Rick Roden nominated by Donald Trump to serve as TVA board chairman
Rick Roden, President and CEO of the Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce, has been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve on the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) board of directors. Al.com reported Roden will complete the term of James Thompson III, who Trump fired last year. Roden confirmed his nomination on Monday but declined to comment further. Roden will complete Thompson’s term, which expires May 18. Roden has worked for the Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce for 29 years. Thompson, who is from Decatur, Alabama, was appointed to the post by Trump. He was fired from the TVA board in August when Trump spoke out about the high salary for the TVA president. According to an AL.com report, Jeff Lyash was hired as TVA president in February 2019, with an $8 million salary. Trump said the president’s salary was “ridiculous”, and stated, “The new CEO must be paid no more than $500,000 a year. We want the TVA to take action on this immediately.” Lyash has remained TVA president. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee commented on the issue, stating that TVA chief executive officers’ pay is lower than other large utilities and that TVA energy rates are among the lowest in the nation. Trump fired Thompson along with Richard Howorth and threatened to fire more if they continued to hire foreign labor. Trump had previously signed an order prohibiting federal entities from outsourcing jobs overseas, something the TVA had started doing. TVA is a federally owned corporation that provides electricity to parts of seven states, including Alabama. The TVA website states, “The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power companies serving 10 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA receives no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity.”
Ivey leads Alabama team in talks with Japanese automakers
Gov. Kay Ivey is leading a small team of Alabama economic development specialists on a business development mission to Japan for high-level meetings with leaders of global automakers Toyota, Mazda and Honda. The Alabama delegation is departing for Japan today and will return on Thursday following appointments in Tokyo. The mission’s strategic goal is to facilitate growth in the state’s automotive sector and extend relationships with the manufacturers. Bill Hagerty is the U.S. ambassador to Japan. (contributed) “The auto industry has been a key driver of economic growth in Alabama for two decades, and we want to make sure we’re positioned to see that growth accelerate in coming years,” Ivey said. “It’s important that we work closely with these automakers to ensure they thrive in Alabama because that will bring more jobs and investment to the state.” In addition to meeting with executives from the three automakers, the Alabama group will visit the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo to meet with Ambassador Bill Hagerty. There, the discussion is expected to center on the business climate in Japan and unfolding trade developments affecting both countries. “Ambassador Hagerty was one of the first people to call me and congratulate Alabama on attracting the Toyota-Mazda investment. This meeting shows the importance that Alabama plays on the world stage and I appreciate the work the ambassador does on behalf of our nation,” Ivey said. “I look forward to the meeting and to working with him to continue the strong relationship between Japan and Alabama.” Mission agenda The Japan mission comes as the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA joint venture partnership is beginning to move forward with plans for a $1.6 billion assembly plant in Huntsville that will employ 4,000 people and spawn a significant network of suppliers. Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said the discussions with Mazda and Toyota executives will focus on moving the assembly plant project forward. In addition, the talks will center on how their critical supply chain can be filled out leading up to a planned production launch in 2021. “While we have a longstanding relationship with Toyota, we’re still developing bonds with Mazda, which has no manufacturing presence in the U.S.,” Canfield said. “We can use our extensive experience in assisting automakers expand their footprint to help the company build out a productive and efficient operation in Alabama.” Leaders from Toyota and Mazda announced their decision in January 2018 to open the assembly plant at a site in Huntsville that’s just 14 miles from a Toyota engine plant that has almost 1,400 workers after multiple expansions. Joining Ivey and Canfield in the meetings with Mazda and Toyota executives will be Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, Tennessee Valley Authority CEO Bill Johnson and Chip Cherry, president and CEO of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce. Steve Pelham, Ivey’s chief of staff, and Hollie Pegg, assistant director of business development at the Alabama Department of Commerce, will also be included in these meetings. Honda appointment Ivey, Canfield, Pelham and Pegg will also engage in talks with leaders of Honda, which operates a $2.6 billion assembly plant in Talladega County with 4,500 full-time workers. In early 2017, Honda announced an $85 million expansion as part of a multi-phase project to improve manufacturing flexibility at the Alabama factory and prepare it for future technologies. Canfield said the meetingAla with Honda is meant to reinforce Alabama’s strong relationship with the automaker and discuss how the state can support the facility’s new leadership and future growth plans. “Honda is a very important member of the Alabama automotive manufacturing family, and we’re committed to working closely with this great company as it pursues new levels of success at its Talladega County operation,” he said. Ivey said she hopes these meetings will lead to additional economic growth for Alabama and more trade between the state and Japan. Republished with the permission of Alabama Newscenter.
Steve Marshall leads effort to protect states’ rights, prevent TVA rate increase
Alabama is leading the fight against a federal court ruling that would undercut state authority to regulate its own groundwaters and would result in debt to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), causing rate increases that could leave many customers in Alabama and other states unable to afford electricity. Joined by Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall filed an amicus brief on Tuesday evening in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Sixth District arguing a federal judge’s order to excavate a coal ash pond in Tennessee “usurps States’ authority to regulate groundwaters” in the case of Tennessee Clean Water Network v. TVA. According to the brief: “The lower court’s remedy, ordering closure of the Gallatin ash ponds by excavation and removal, would cost approximately $1.8 billion to 4.0 billion. As TVA will pass this cost on to its captive utility customers, such a costly remedy will have an unanticipated, immediate, and profound impact on utility ratepayers. If this Court upholds the lower court’s remedy, and closure-by-removal is subsequently applied throughout the Sixth Circuit, the resulting costs to utility customers would be astronomical, costing in the tens-of-billions of dollars.” Yikes. Under the Clean Water Act (CWA), Congress designated states as the main controllers of groundwater pollutants.The issue, however, is whether or not “hydrological connectivity” (the theory that the groundwaters might connect to navigable waters) could extend federal control to groundwater pollutants. Using this approach, a lower court has ordered that the TVA clean up a coal ash pond at its Gallatin coal plant using a close-by-removal procedure rather than the TVA’s preferred close-in-place method. “Not only is this matter clearly designated for state rather than federal regulation and the proposed remedy unnecessary and overwhelmingly costly, but the theory of hydrological connectivity could be extended to ridiculous circumstances,” said Marshall. “For example, owners of large parking lots could find themselves subject to CWA citizen suits as storm water runoff mixes with petroleum products discharged by cars parked on pavement, and may make its way into groundwater and eventually ‘navigable water.’ The same logic extends to runoff from state, county and municipal roads and highways.” 16 other states are joining Alabama and Kentucky in support of the brief: Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Hexcel to expand Alabama plant, creating 90 jobs with $200M project
Alabama officials announced that the existing Hexcel Corp. production site in Decatur has been selected by the company for its first integrated U.S. carbon fiber and PAN production facility. When completed and fully operational, the expansion will add about 90 jobs to Hexcel’s existing workforce in Decatur. The expansion was announced at a ceremony in Decatur attended by Hexcel executives, state officials and local leaders. The project is part of the company’s strategic plan to ramp up production of advanced composites to meet increasing demand in the aerospace and industrial markets. Production is expected to begin in 2021. Hexcel Chairman, CEO and President Nick Stanage said the company conducted a comprehensive study for the project before choosing to expand in Decatur. “We are pleased to reaffirm our commitment to Decatur, to the State of Alabama and to our existing team at the plant. We looked around the world at possible locations for this expansion, and the people of Alabama made it clear that Decatur would be the right choice,” he said. “Hexcel’s expansion plan underscores the company’s confidence in its loyal Alabama workforce and reflects the strong partnership that has been built in Decatur,” Gov. Kay Ivey said. “I look forward to seeing Hexcel’s Alabama operation continue to grow and thrive.” Stamford, Connecticut-based Hexcel, which was founded in 1948, operates 22 manufacturing sites with more than 6,100 workers. Sales last year totaled $2 billion. The Decatur facility produces polyacrylonitrile, or PAN, a precursor of carbon fiber. “Alabama stands in the center of the emerging Southeastern aerospace cluster, and we want to penetrate all levels of the industry supply chain,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “The growth of companies such as Hexcel shows that we are positioned for an expanding role in that supply chain.” $200 million investment According to the Morgan County Economic Development Association (MCEDA), Hexcel’s investment in the expansion project is approximately $200 million, adding to previous investment totaling $691 million in the facility. “This exciting announcement for Morgan County reinforces our qualified workforce and competitive location. We appreciate Hexcel’s investment and look forward to their continued growth in Morgan County,” said Morgan County Commission Chairman Ray Long. “The size of this capital investment makes it one of the largest in the history of Morgan County and will pay long-term dividends to local schools and governments,” state Sen. Arthur Orr said. “We are grateful for Hexcel Corp.’s renewed commitment to the people of this area and look forward to an enhanced, mutually beneficial relationship.” Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling said, “I have been associated with Hexcel since 1988, when they were known as Hispan. Since those early years, Hexcel leaders have continued to invest in Decatur, and they have remained a leader in the growing carbon fiber industry. This investment is a reflection of a wonderful economic development community led by our EDA staff, a strong workforce, and our logistical advantages.” Joining MCEDA and the Alabama Department of Commerce on the project recruitment team were the Morgan County Commission, Decatur’s mayor and City Council, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website. Republished with permission from the Alabama NewsCenter.
Blue Origin to invest $200M in Alabama rocket engine production facility
Blue Origin, the spaceflight company started by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announced today that it will manufacture its BE-4 engine in a state-of-the-art production facility to be built in Alabama’s Rocket City. The new facility will be in Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park, the nation’s second-largest research park, and construction can begin once an engine production contract with United Launch Alliance (ULA) is awarded. The BE-4 is America’s next rocket engine and will power ULA’s Vulcan rocket if it’s selected for the project. The production of this engine would end the nation’s dependence on Russia for access to space for critical national security space systems. This rendering shows Blue Origin’s New Glenn reusable rocket. (Blue Origin) ‘Great state for aerospace’ Two BE-4s would be used on the Vulcan booster rocket. The BE-4 will also power Blue Origin’s New Glenn reusable launch system with seven BE-4s on the reusable first stage and a vacuum-optimized BE-4U on the second stage. Blue Origin awaits the final public approval of the local package by the city and county governments during July meetings. Using the latest design and manufacturing techniques, the BE-4 is made for both commercial and government missions. The BE-4 uses oxygen-rich staged combustion of liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas to produce 550,000 pounds of thrust. Development began in 2011, and testing is under way. “Alabama is a great state for aerospace manufacturing and we are proud to produce America’s next rocket engine right here in Rocket City,” said Robert Meyerson, president of Blue Origin. “The area’s skilled workforce and leading role in rocket propulsion development make Huntsville the ideal location for our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.” Blue Origin will employ up to 342 people in the new facility. The company will make approximately $200 million in capital investment in the state. “This announcement today is excellent news for our state. I am pleased to see Blue Origin investing in Alabama, and I look forward to working with them and other businesses to continue boosting economic development opportunities,” U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby said. Blue Origin will manufacture BE-4 rocket engines in Huntsville. (Blue Origin) Under the Saturn V The announcement took place at the historic Davidson Center for Space Exploration under the Saturn V rocket, a nod to the community’s aerospace heritage. Blue Origin’s project builds on that heritage and positions the Huntsville/Madison County community for a key role in the commercial space industry. “We are excited to welcome Blue Origin to Alabama. I must commend founder Jeff Bezos and company President Robert Meyerson for their vision to create this innovative company, and for choosing to make Alabama its Home Sweet Home,” Gov. Kay Ivey said. “Because of this investment, more men and women can provide a better living for their families, and it helps cement Alabama as the preferred destination for the aerospace industry,” she added. Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos at the company’s Texas launch facility. (Blue Origin) ‘Project Eagle’ Many economic development partners contributed to the effort to successfully recruit Blue Origin to the state as part of what was called “Project Eagle.” These partners include the Governor’s Office, the Alabama Department of Commerce, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the city of Huntsville, Madison County and the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber. “Blue Origin’s decision to locate its BE-4 engine manufacturing center in Huntsville reflects the deep and longstanding capabilities in the city that became the cradle of the nation’s rocket program,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “Huntsville is a hub of innovation in every facet of aerospace, making it the perfect home for this Blue Origin facility.” Blue Origin said it chose Huntsville for this project because of the high-tech aerospace manufacturing workforce and ecosystem, including NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, nearly 300 private aerospace and defense contractors, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville, number 14 in NASA research funding in the nation. “Huntsville is proud to be the nation’s propulsion center of excellence, and we couldn’t ask for a better partner than Blue Origin to join our team,” Mayor Tommy Battle said. “When you look at NASA’s visionary work at the Marshall Space Flight Center, the talent and capacity of Huntsville’s space industry partners, and our expertise in research and development, engineering and manufacturing, Blue Origin is joining a truly remarkable environment.” Added Madison County Commission Chairman Dale W. Strong, “Today’s announcement ensures that our community will continue to be at the center of the world’s rocket propulsion development. Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin will build on the legacy of the German rocket team and the Marshall Space Flight Center to power the growing commercial rocket business that will be a critical part of our nation’s future space program.” Blue Origin has completed more than 100 staged-combustion tests during the development of the BE-4 engine. (Blue Origin) ‘Center of excellence’ In support of Blue Origin, the city of Huntsville, city of Madison and Madison County have provided funding for their three school systems to launch an experiment on a Blue Origin rocket in summer 2018. The school systems will determine how to select teams, and then they will work with the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber and Dream Up, an organization that supports space-based learning, to design and develop their payload. “Blue Origin reinforces our region’s place as the Rocket City, and a center of excellence for rocket propulsion. Blue Origin’s presence will have a positive impact on our state, our region and our community,” said Chip Cherry, president and CEO of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber. “This is an important development for Cummings Research Park’s next era of expansion, and we look forward to a long and productive relationship with Blue Origin.” This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website. Republished with permission of Alabama NewsCenter.
Energy Institute of Alabama honors state’s linemen
Linemen from a dozen electric companies and cooperatives from across the state gathered on Monday to celebrate Alabama Lineman Appreciation Day, hosted by the Energy Institute of Alabama at Dixie Electric Cooperative in Montgomery. “We’re doing something today that we need to do every day and that is to tell our linemen how much we appreciate what they do,” said Seth Hammett, EIA Chairman and PowerSouth Vice President of Business Development. Joining Hammett in honoring the linemen at the luncheon was Alabama Public Service Commission President Twinkle Cavanaugh and Commissioner Jeremy Oden and Alabama Emergency Management Director Art Faulkner. Baldwin EMC lineman David Hammock and Alabama Rural Electric Association of Cooperatives Safety Specialist Eric Turner, a former lineman, also addressed the crowd. “I’m with my co-workers more than I am my family sometimes,” Hammock said. “We are like a family. We watch each other’s backs and we are our brothers’ keepers. We also like to commend our families for giving up a lot for us to do our jobs.” Cavanaugh saluted the linemen, recalling how as a little girl she wished she had a pair of those “fancy shoes they put on that let them climb the poles so quickly.” Now, as PSC president, she told the workers on hand to remember, “Those guys and women in the fancy offices in management at your companies can’t do what you do.” Oden commended the linemen for cooperating when times are difficult after storms strike. “I love the way you work together. You are the front lines. Thank you for the risks you take getting our power back on.” Faulkner, who has been EMA director since 2011, said when a disaster strikes in the state, he has a lineman friend he relies on to gauge the severity of the crisis. “I use my ‘Lineman Index,’” he said. “I call my lineman friend and if he’s enjoying his day in his backyard, I know all is ‘green.’ If I call and I can barely hear him over the sound of his truck, I know he’s on the way to help and I know to go to ‘yellow alert.’ If I call and he doesn’t answer, I know it’s ‘red alert,’ because he is up in his truck helping his fellow linemen and he doesn’t have time to talk to me.” Lineman Appreciation Day was designated as the first Monday in June by the Alabama Legislature in 2014. There are more than 2,000 linemen working for the companies represented by the Energy Institute of Alabama: Alabama Power, PowerSouth, Electric Cities, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the electric cooperatives that are members of the Alabama Rural Electric Association and the Alabama Municipal Electric Authority. Republished with permission of Alabama NewsCenter.
Alabama’s only seat on TVA board in jeopardy by Jeff Sessions’ changing fortunes
Alabama is represented by only a single seat on the Tennessee Valley Authority board — Joe Ritch, a Huntsville attorney. But Ritch’s TVA board seat could be under fire by the election of Donald Trump and his pick for Attorney General, Sen. Jeff Sessions. Ritch, a Democrat nominated in 2013 by President Obama for a three-year term, is up for another term. Board members elected him chair, a position he currently holds. Lee Roop of Al.com notes that Ritch’s knowledge of North Alabama and strong leadership has earned him several local supporters, such as Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, Jackson County Commission Chair Matthew Hodges and Madison Mayor Paul Finley. “They cite thousands of new jobs brought to the region and nearly $1 billion in new business investment during his tenure,” Roop writes. Ritch was instrumental in helping Jackson County rebound from economic damage due to federal policies and court rulings, Hodges said. Hodges also cited Ritch’s help after federal policies reduced reliance on coal to power TVA plants, which led to the shuttering of Widow’s Creek coal-based power plant and subsequent loss of jobs; Ritch worked to lure a Google data center now operating in the same location. “They came and I feel like have made an incredible effort to turn things around, to work with us and help us to help ourselves,” Hodges told Al.com. “(Ritch) was chairman of the board at that time. It took an effort from a lot of folks at TVA to make that happen, but you had his leadership.” “He’s been a very valuable member of the (local economic) team,” Battle added. “He’s the only chair Alabama’s ever had, he’s kept power rates low, and it would be a win-win for the community to keep him there.” Both Finley and Battle, whose positions are non-partisan, agree that Ritch doesn’t favor a specific Alabama city or the state in general. But someone like him on the board helps keep industry leaders aware that commitments will be kept. As of now, the Senate is left with only a few weeks to decide if Ritch stays with the TVA. If he is not approved before Congress’ Christmas break, President-elect Trump will name a successor. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, chaired by Oklahoma Republican Jim Inhofe ,determines TVA board members; a committee which Sessions is a member. Senate rules allow senators to either approve – or block — presidential nominations from their respective states. The first time around, Sessions gave Ritch the thumbs-up. This time, he has not yet said he would. “We’ve been in a continual conversation with the (entire) Alabama delegation,” Battle told reporters. If Sessions becomes President Trump’s attorney general and a replacement for Ritch is chosen, Alabama’s new Republican Senator could have veto power. That is if Trump nominates another Alabamian, and Sessions’ replacement is named to the public works committee. Alabama is represented on the TVA by someone already approved by Sessions, Roop says local leaders hope it stays that way.
Personnel note: Mo Brook’s Communications Director Lauren Vandiver returns to Alabama
On Tuesday, Alabama 5th District U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks‘ Communications Director Lauren Vandiver announced her departure from Capitol Hill. After six years on the Hill, the Auburn graduate will move back to North Alabama to join the Tennessee Valley Authority as the government relations manager for the Alabama District. “While I’m looking forward to real barbecue, sweet tea, and Auburn football games – it will be difficult to match the wonderful friendships and memories made during my time in Washington,” Vandiver said in an email to colleagues. Vandiver first began working in federal politics in 2008 as an intern for Alabama 3rd District U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers. She later worked for former 5th District U.S. Congressman Parker Griffith in the Hunstville District office before moving in 2010 to work in his D.C. office. When Griffith was defeated in the 2010 Republican primary by Brooks, Vandiver was picked up by the incoming freshman and began working as his legislative correspondent before transitioning to press secretary and legislative assistant, and ultimately communications director. “It has been an honor to serve my home district working with such a dedicated member and incredible team in the D.C. office and in our district offices,” Vandiver concluded.
Alabama nuclear plant up for sale at fraction of cost
After spending more than 40 years and $5 billion on an unfinished nuclear power plant in northeastern Alabama, the nation’s largest federal utility is preparing to sell the property at a fraction of its cost. The Tennessee Valley Authority has set a minimum bid of $36.4 million for its Bellefonte Nuclear Plant and the 1,600 surrounding acres of waterfront property on the Tennessee River. The buyer gets two unfinished nuclear reactors, transmission lines, office and warehouse buildings, eight miles of roads, a 1,000-space parking lot and more. Initial bids are due Monday, and at least one company has publicly expressed interest in the site with plans to use it for alternative energy production. But TVA says it isn’t particular about what the purchaser does — using the site for power production, industrial manufacturing, recreation or even residences would all be fine with the agency, said spokesman Scott Fiedler. “It’s all about jobs and investment, and that’s our primary goal for selling this property,” said Fielder. TVA hopes to close the deal in October. The sale is bittersweet for site manager Jim Chardos, who went to work at Bellefonte in 1994 expecting it to be finished as a nuclear power plant. All these years later, he commutes 90 minutes each way to work to oversee a plant that has never been stocked with radioactive fuel or used either of its reactors to generate a single watt of electricity. Work began at Bellefonte in the mid-’70s on the backside of the nuclear energy boom in the United States, Chardos said. The utility initially planned to construct four reactors at the site, but demand for power in the region never met those early expectations and work halted in 1988. A series of starts and stops preceded TVA’s decision earlier this year to sell Bellefonte. “If you’re going to make 1,200 megawatts you need to sell it to somebody, and if there’s no need for it you’re not going to finish,” he said. “And that’s really what’s happened.” Sales of U.S. nuclear plants aren’t all that unusual; the Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry group, says at least 30 units have been sold in part or whole since 1999. The potential sale of Bellefonte is creating hope in a region where residents gave up long ago on the promise of thousands of good-paying, permanent jobs that were once expected at the plant. “It was a great thing but then they just pulled the plug and left out, you know,” said Hollywood Mayor Frank “Buster” Duke, who worked at Bellefonte about a decade before moving on. Today, he said, the 1,000 or so residents of his town need a place to work whether TVA or some other entity owns the property. “It would help the area as far as land values go. Population would improve, businesses would come in,” he said. The Nevada-based Phoenix Energy has said it will offer $38 million for Bellefonte in hopes of using it for a new, non-nuclear technology to generate power. The company says its system uses electromagnetic induction energy fields to heat water indirectly and produce steam that would turn turbines and generate electricity at Bellefonte. Chardos said he would still like to see the site used to generate electricity by nuclear power, but he can’t be too picky. “It’s all about the jobs,” he said. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
