Southern Company
Encyclopedia
Southern Company is a public utility
holding company of primarily electric utilities
in the southern United States
. It is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia
with executive offices also located in Birmingham
, Alabama
. The company is currently the 16th largest utility company in the world and the fourth largest in the U.S. Through its subsidiaries it owns and operates more than 42,000 megawatts of generation capacity and serves 4.3 million customers in Alabama
, Georgia
, Florida
, and Mississippi
. Southern Company’s regulated regional electric utilities serve a 120000 square miles (310,798.6 km²) territory with 27000 miles (43,452.2 km) of distribution lines.
listing of the largest U. S. corporations. It has more than 500,000 shareholders (NYSE: SO) and has been traded since September 30, 1949.
Currently, Southern Company is building the first new nuclear units in the U.S. in 30 years at Plant Vogtle
near Augusta, Georgia
; building one of the largest photovoltaic plants
in the U.S. at Cimarron, New Mexico
; building one of the largest biomass plants at Nacogdoches, Texas
; and installing over four million smart meter
s by 2012.
Four retail electric companies: Alabama Power, Georgia Power
, Gulf Power
, Mississippi Power
, serve 120000 square miles (310,798.6 km²) in four states. Southern Power serves wholesale customers in the Southeast.
Southern Company owns the following companies:
with the Atomic Energy Commission
, and the associated political controversy.
In 1981, Southern Company became the first electric utility holding company in 46 years to diversify its operations by forming an unregulated subsidiary. In January 1982, Southern Energy, Inc., began official operations as a global energy company, growing to serve 10 countries on four continents. On April 2, 2001, Southern Company completed the spinoff of Southern Energy as Mirant Corporation.
Another Southern Company subsidiary—Southern Nuclear—began providing services in 1991 to the system's nuclear power plants.
In 1996, Southern Communications Services began providing digital wireless communications services to Southern Company's subsidiaries and also began marketing these services to the public within the Southeast as Southern LINC. Southern Telecom, a telecommunications subsidiary of Southern Company was founded in 1997. Southern Telecom provides colocation
and dark fiber
optic lines to network businesses.
On January 9, 2001, Southern Company received final approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission to form Southern Power, a subsidiary to own, manage and finance wholesale generating assets in the Southeast. The new subsidiary targets wholesale customers.
On July 19, 2002, Southern Company Gas received certification from the Georgia Public Service Commission to enter the retail gas market. After nearly four years of operations, the company was sold and customers transferred to Cobb EMC's newly formed affiliate, Gas South.
(23%) and natural gas
(16%). Renewable hydroelectric power represented 4 percent of Southern's generation. Coal-based generation dropped significantly in 2009 from an average of 70% between 2005 and 2008.
In June 2010, the United States Department of Energy
awarded an $8.3 billion loan guarantee to facilitate the construction of two new nuclear reactor
s at Plant Vogtle
, near Augusta, Georgia
. A Southern Company subsidiary, Georgia Power, owns 45.7% of the of the current 2,430 MW facility, with co-owners Oglethorpe Power
(30%) Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (22.7%) and the City of Dalton
(1.6%). The plant is operated by Georgia Power. The $14 billion construction project is scheduled to be completed by 2016 and would double the plant's capacity.
The construction of two 1,100 MW reactors has been hailed by Energy Secretary Steven Chu
as "the first new nuclear power plant to break ground in decades". It is expected to create up to 3,500 jobs during the construction phase, and 800 once operational.
emissions are a primary environmental concern. According to a 2007 study
conducted by the Center for Global Development, the Southern Company is the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the U.S. utility industry, with an annual tally of 172 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent
gases.
In response to growing public and financial community interest the company has enacted both corrective and palliative environmental measures.
, sulfur dioxide
and mercury
.
The company recently opened the Plant Crist Test Center
in Pensacola, Florida
where they hope to discover new ways to reduce mercury emissions.
The company has developed TRIG advanced coal gasification
technology which turns coal into gas that can be used to generate electricity with less emissions than traditional coal-fired power plants. Southern Company’s Kemper County project in Mississippi will be the only Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant in the U.S. that will capture and store carbon dioxide
emissions from commercial operations starting in 2014.
The company expects the 100-megawatt Nacogdoches Generating Facility to serve the city of Austin for 20 years.
In partnership with Turner Renewable Energy, the company is building one of the largest solar photovoltaic plants in the U.S. near Cimarron, New Mexico
.
The 30-megawatt project will supply power to approximately 9,000 homes.
The company manages and operates the National Carbon Capture Center, a focal point of U.S. Department of Energy's efforts to develop carbon capture and greenhouse gas reduction technologies, under which various projects to test geologic sequestration are in progress at Plant Gorgas in Alabama, Plant Daniel in Mississippi and other company sites.
Southern Company participates in Renew Our Rivers, a volunteer program to remove debris from rivers and other waterways throughout the Southeast
, which claims over 11 million pounds of trash removed or recycled in Renew Our Rivers events.
concerned environmentalists may not consider any reduction short of zero emissions to be a success.
Public utility
A public utility is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service . Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and regulation ranging from local community-based groups to state-wide government monopolies...
holding company of primarily electric utilities
Electric utility
An electric utility is a company that engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity for sale generally in a regulated market. The electrical utility industry is a major provider of energy in most countries. It is indispensable to factories, commercial establishments,...
in the southern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
with executive offices also located in Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. The company is currently the 16th largest utility company in the world and the fourth largest in the U.S. Through its subsidiaries it owns and operates more than 42,000 megawatts of generation capacity and serves 4.3 million customers in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. Southern Company’s regulated regional electric utilities serve a 120000 square miles (310,798.6 km²) territory with 27000 miles (43,452.2 km) of distribution lines.
Overview
Southern Company is one of the largest producers of electricity in the United States and 149th on the Fortune 500Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
listing of the largest U. S. corporations. It has more than 500,000 shareholders (NYSE: SO) and has been traded since September 30, 1949.
Currently, Southern Company is building the first new nuclear units in the U.S. in 30 years at Plant Vogtle
Vogtle Electric Generating Plant
The Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, also known as Plant Vogtle, is a 2-unit nuclear power plant located in Burke County, near Waynesboro, Georgia...
near Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
; building one of the largest photovoltaic plants
Photovoltaic power station
The following page lists photovoltaic power stations that are larger than 25 MW in current net capacity. Solar photovoltaic cells convert sunlight into electricity and many solar photovoltaic power stations have been built, mainly in Europe...
in the U.S. at Cimarron, New Mexico
Cimarron, New Mexico
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 917 people, 382 households, and 255 families residing in the village. The population density was 479.5 people per square mile . There were 449 housing units at an average density of 234.8 per square mile...
; building one of the largest biomass plants at Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the city's population to be 32,996. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County and is situated in East Texas. Nacogdoches is a sister city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.Nacogdoches is the home of...
; and installing over four million smart meter
Smart meter
A smart meter is usually an electrical meter that records consumption of electric energy in intervals of an hour or less and communicates that information at least daily back to the utility for monitoring and billing purposes. Smart meters enable two-way communication between the meter and the...
s by 2012.
Four retail electric companies: Alabama Power, Georgia Power
Georgia Power
Georgia Power is an electric utility headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the largest of the four electric utilities that are owned and operated by Southern Company....
, Gulf Power
Gulf Power
Gulf Power Company is a U.S. investor-owned electric utility with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta based Southern Company. Gulf Power Company is headquartered in Pensacola, Florida, and has a service territory that spans , through 10 counties and 71 towns in northwest Florida...
, Mississippi Power
Mississippi Power
Mississippi Power is an investor-owned electric utility and a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta based Southern Company. Mississippi Power Company is headquartered in Gulfport, Mississippi....
, serve 120000 square miles (310,798.6 km²) in four states. Southern Power serves wholesale customers in the Southeast.
Southern Company owns the following companies:
- Alabama Power - Operating Company - Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, AlabamaBirmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
- Georgia PowerGeorgia PowerGeorgia Power is an electric utility headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the largest of the four electric utilities that are owned and operated by Southern Company....
- Operating Company - Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in... - Gulf PowerGulf PowerGulf Power Company is a U.S. investor-owned electric utility with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta based Southern Company. Gulf Power Company is headquartered in Pensacola, Florida, and has a service territory that spans , through 10 counties and 71 towns in northwest Florida...
- Operating Company - Pensacola, FloridaPensacola, FloridaPensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752... - Mississippi PowerMississippi PowerMississippi Power is an investor-owned electric utility and a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta based Southern Company. Mississippi Power Company is headquartered in Gulfport, Mississippi....
- Operating Company - Gulfport, MississippiGulfport, MississippiGulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the... - Southern Company Energy Solutions - Common Services - Atlanta, Georgia
- Southern Company ServicesSouthern Company ServicesSouthern Company Services, Inc., headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is the shared services division of Southern Company. Formed in 1963, as Southern Services, the company provides administrative and operational services to all of Southern Company's operating divisions...
- (originally named Southern Services, Inc.) - Birmingham, Alabama - Common Services - SouthernLINC WirelessSouthernLINC WirelessSouthernLINC Wireless is a regional iDEN carrier providing coverage in areas of the south east United States including southeast Mississippi, all Alabama, all Georgia, and the Florida panhandle...
- Cellular Telephone Provider - Atlanta, Georgia - Southern NuclearSouthern NuclearSouthern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., also known as Southern Nuclear, is a nuclear power company headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. The company operates six nuclear power units at three plants: the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant, the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant and the Alvin W. Vogtle...
- Engineering and Operations for Nuclear Power Plants - Birmingham, Alabama - (Southern Company is the majority owner and operator of the Farley, Hatch, and VogtleVogtle Electric Generating PlantThe Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, also known as Plant Vogtle, is a 2-unit nuclear power plant located in Burke County, near Waynesboro, Georgia...
nuclear power plants.) - Southern Company Generation - Fossil and Hydro Operations - Birmingham, Alabama
- Southern Power - Wholesale Generation - Atlanta, Georgia
- Southern TelecomSouthern Telecom (Southern Company)Southern Telecom is the wireline, fiber optic telecommunications subsidiary of Southern Company . Established in 1997 as an Exempt Telecommunications Company pursuant to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Southern Telecom is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.-External links:* Official Site*...
- Wholesale Fiber Optic Communications and Data Services - Atlanta, Georgia
History
Southern Company can be traced back to the mid-1920s, when Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, and Mississippi Power became an interconnected system under a holding company known as Southeastern Power & Light. In 1930, Southeastern Power & Light merged into the Commonwealth & Southern Corporation to form a system that included five Northern companies and six Southern companies. However, in the late 1940s Commonwealth & Southern was dissolved to meet the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935. Four of the Southern companies—Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, and Mississippi Power—were deemed to be an integrated system and thus were allowed to remain under common ownership, this time under a new holding company—Southern Company. The new holding company was incorporated in Delaware on November 9, 1945 and moved to Georgia in 1950. The year 1949 saw Southern Company's first full year of operation. In 1954-55, the company was involved in the Dixon-Yates contractDixon-Yates contract
The Dixon-Yates contract was a 1954 contract between the AEC and two private energy companies, Middle South Utilities and the Southern Company to supply 600,000 kilowatts of power to the AEC for their Tennessee plant...
with the Atomic Energy Commission
United States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
, and the associated political controversy.
In 1981, Southern Company became the first electric utility holding company in 46 years to diversify its operations by forming an unregulated subsidiary. In January 1982, Southern Energy, Inc., began official operations as a global energy company, growing to serve 10 countries on four continents. On April 2, 2001, Southern Company completed the spinoff of Southern Energy as Mirant Corporation.
Another Southern Company subsidiary—Southern Nuclear—began providing services in 1991 to the system's nuclear power plants.
In 1996, Southern Communications Services began providing digital wireless communications services to Southern Company's subsidiaries and also began marketing these services to the public within the Southeast as Southern LINC. Southern Telecom, a telecommunications subsidiary of Southern Company was founded in 1997. Southern Telecom provides colocation
Colocation
Colocation is the act of placing multiple entities within a single location.Colocation is often used in the data sourcing industry to mean off-site data storage, usually in a data center. This is very important for businesses since the loss of data can be crucial for companies of any size...
and dark fiber
Dark fiber
A dark fiber or unlit fiber is an unused Optical fiber, available for use in fiber-optic communication.The term dark fiber was originally used when referring to the potential network capacity of telecommunication infrastructure, but now also refers to the increasingly common practice of leasing...
optic lines to network businesses.
On January 9, 2001, Southern Company received final approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission to form Southern Power, a subsidiary to own, manage and finance wholesale generating assets in the Southeast. The new subsidiary targets wholesale customers.
On July 19, 2002, Southern Company Gas received certification from the Georgia Public Service Commission to enter the retail gas market. After nearly four years of operations, the company was sold and customers transferred to Cobb EMC's newly formed affiliate, Gas South.
Generation facilities
Southern Company subsidiaries operate hydroelectric, gas, coal, and nuclear generation sources to generate approximately 200 terawatt-hours of electricity. In 2009, coal represented 57 percent of the company's output, followed by nuclearNuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
(23%) and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
(16%). Renewable hydroelectric power represented 4 percent of Southern's generation. Coal-based generation dropped significantly in 2009 from an average of 70% between 2005 and 2008.
In June 2010, the United States Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
awarded an $8.3 billion loan guarantee to facilitate the construction of two new nuclear reactor
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
s at Plant Vogtle
Vogtle Electric Generating Plant
The Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, also known as Plant Vogtle, is a 2-unit nuclear power plant located in Burke County, near Waynesboro, Georgia...
, near Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
. A Southern Company subsidiary, Georgia Power, owns 45.7% of the of the current 2,430 MW facility, with co-owners Oglethorpe Power
Oglethorpe Power
Oglethorpe Power Corporation medium-sized electric utility in Georgia, United States. Formed in 1974, Ogelthorpe is a not-for-profit cooperative owned by the 39 electric membership corporations that it serves. The utility's headquarters are in Tucker, Georgia. It is the largest power supply...
(30%) Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (22.7%) and the City of Dalton
Dalton, Georgia
Dalton is a city in Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It is the county seat of Whitfield County and the principal city of the Dalton, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of both Murray and Whitfield counties. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 33,128...
(1.6%). The plant is operated by Georgia Power. The $14 billion construction project is scheduled to be completed by 2016 and would double the plant's capacity.
The construction of two 1,100 MW reactors has been hailed by Energy Secretary Steven Chu
Steven Chu
Steven Chu is an American physicist and the 12th United States Secretary of Energy. Chu is known for his research at Bell Labs in cooling and trapping of atoms with laser light, which won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997, along with his scientific colleagues Claude Cohen-Tannoudji and...
as "the first new nuclear power plant to break ground in decades". It is expected to create up to 3,500 jobs during the construction phase, and 800 once operational.
Environmental Concerns
As a coal-burning energy company, greenhouse gasGreenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
emissions are a primary environmental concern. According to a 2007 study
conducted by the Center for Global Development, the Southern Company is the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the U.S. utility industry, with an annual tally of 172 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent
Carbon dioxide equivalent
Carbon dioxide equivalent and Equivalent carbon dioxide are two related but distinct measures for describing how much global warming a given type and amount of greenhouse gas may cause, using the functionally equivalent amount or concentration of carbon dioxide as the reference.- Global warming...
gases.
In response to growing public and financial community interest the company has enacted both corrective and palliative environmental measures.
Corrective Measures
Southern Company has installed $7.5 billion in environmental controls with plans to spend additional $2.4 billion through 2012 to further reduce emissions of nitrogen oxideNitrogen oxide
Nitrogen oxide can refer to a binary compound of oxygen and nitrogen, or a mixture of such compounds:* Nitric oxide, also known as nitrogen monoxide, , nitrogen oxide* Nitrogen dioxide , nitrogen oxide...
, sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is released by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide unless the sulfur compounds are removed before burning the fuel...
and mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
.
The company recently opened the Plant Crist Test Center
in Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
where they hope to discover new ways to reduce mercury emissions.
The company has developed TRIG advanced coal gasification
Coal gasification
Coal gasification is the process of producing coal gas, a type of syngas–a mixture of carbon monoxide , hydrogen , carbon dioxide and water vapour –from coal...
technology which turns coal into gas that can be used to generate electricity with less emissions than traditional coal-fired power plants. Southern Company’s Kemper County project in Mississippi will be the only Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant in the U.S. that will capture and store carbon dioxide
Carbon capture and storage
Carbon capture and storage , alternatively referred to as carbon capture and sequestration, is a technology to prevent large quantities of from being released into the atmosphere from the use of fossil fuel in power generation and other industries. It is often regarded as a means of mitigating...
emissions from commercial operations starting in 2014.
Palliative Measures
Southern Company is building one of the largest 100 percent biomass plants in the nation.The company expects the 100-megawatt Nacogdoches Generating Facility to serve the city of Austin for 20 years.
In partnership with Turner Renewable Energy, the company is building one of the largest solar photovoltaic plants in the U.S. near Cimarron, New Mexico
Cimarron, New Mexico
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 917 people, 382 households, and 255 families residing in the village. The population density was 479.5 people per square mile . There were 449 housing units at an average density of 234.8 per square mile...
.
The 30-megawatt project will supply power to approximately 9,000 homes.
The company manages and operates the National Carbon Capture Center, a focal point of U.S. Department of Energy's efforts to develop carbon capture and greenhouse gas reduction technologies, under which various projects to test geologic sequestration are in progress at Plant Gorgas in Alabama, Plant Daniel in Mississippi and other company sites.
Southern Company participates in Renew Our Rivers, a volunteer program to remove debris from rivers and other waterways throughout the Southeast
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
, which claims over 11 million pounds of trash removed or recycled in Renew Our Rivers events.
Impact
Coal-burning (whether direct or via gassification) energy production continues to be an environmental concern, and Southern Company continues to produce large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions as part of its day-to-day operations. Although the company sites measurable reduced emissions,concerned environmentalists may not consider any reduction short of zero emissions to be a success.
External links
- DOE guarantee press info
- PR Newswire release
- Southern Company Media Room
- Southern Company official site
- Forbes Global 2000 Biggest Companies Utility Industry