Where does Alabama Power’s electricity come from?

Renewable energy is a growing part of Alabama Power’s mix, and the company continues to add more where it works for customers. The energy grid still has to serve homes and businesses around the clock, including multi-day cold periods when solar output is lower and demand is higher. That’s why firm resources – like natural gas and nuclear, plus tools like battery storage – are part of the plan. The goal is steady progress toward a cleaner mix while keeping service dependable and customer costs in check.

About 250 MW of solar are operating today or scheduled to be online by the end of 2026. In addition, about 420 MW are approved and expected to come online by 2030. Megawatt (MW) is a measure of capacity; actual solar output varies by time of day and weather. Nearly all of this solar serves customers enrolled in Alabama Power’s renewable energy programs – and is structured to provide an economic benefit to all customers.

Alabama Power has been converting or retiring coal units over time as rules change and as reliability allows. When faced with choices – add controls, retire a unit or convert it to another fuel – the company takes into account reliability, customer cost and compliance. Changes are sequenced so the energy grid remains dependable as the mix evolves.

The list ranks total annual emissions, not emissions per unit of electricity. Large plants that generate a lot of electricity tend to rank higher on total emissions because they run more and produce more power. Plant Miller is a large, high-output plant that provides important reliability and cost value for customers – especially during peak demand periods, including multi-day cold events when electric heating use rises.

Plant Miller has also added major controls that have sharply reduced key air emissions. Since 2007, nitrogen oxides are down 86% and sulfur dioxide is down 99%, supported by more than $1 billion in environmental improvements, including scrubbers and Selective Catalytic Reduction. Those upgrades reflect a practical reality: when a large, dependable plant still plays a role in serving customers, adding controls can be a better long-term option than retiring capacity before the system is ready.

And Plant Miller is only one part of a balanced mix. About 30% of the electricity Alabama Power generates for customers comes from clean energy sources, like nuclear, hydropower and solar.

Through the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) – a rolling process that looks about 20 years ahead and evaluates different futures for electricity demand, fuel costs, technology and environmental requirements. The IRP identifies an optimized mix of resources to meet future capacity and energy demands in the most economic and reliable manner. When a specific resource is proposed – whether it’s built, acquired or purchased under contract – it goes through a separate public filing and review at the Alabama Public Service Commission before it can move forward. Planning is ongoing; adding a resource requires approval.

Alabama Power also has a PSC-approved Renewable Generation Certificate program that provides an expedited approval process for adding customer-driven renewable energy resources. These resources support the company’s renewable subscription and other renewable energy programs and must bring an economic benefit to non-participating customers.