How Alabama Power Has Left the 'American Amazon' at Risk
As its polluting coal ash ponds remain in groundwater, Alabama Power has doubled down on fossil fuel energy investments.
insideclimatenews.orgHere are the latest publicly available highlights about Alabama Power based on recent reporting:
- Alabama Power has faced regulatory and environmental scrutiny over coal ash management and groundwater monitoring at plants such as Plant Barry. In 2024, the EPA settled a prior notice of violation related to groundwater monitoring and emergency action planning, including a civil penalty, with updates still in progress on the emergency action plan as of late 2024/2025. This ongoing oversight has been a recurring theme in coverage about the company's environmental compliance.[2][4]
- The utility has continued to expand its fossil-fuel portfolio, including acquisitions of natural gas assets, which aligns with a broader emphasis on gas-fired capacity alongside existing coal and potential future energy mix considerations. Company statements describe these investments as data-driven and not tied to a single fuel source, but observers note a tendency toward maintaining fossil-fuel infrastructure in Alabama Power’s strategic posture.[4]
- Alabama Power’s corporate communications emphasize ongoing projects and initiatives—ranging from solar project approvals in collaboration with partners (e.g., MBUSI in Lowndes County) to broader energy solutions and community commitments—typical of utility press activity designed to highlight reliability, modernization, and community impact.[3][5]
- Local and national coverage through outlets such as ABC affiliates and specialized environmental journalism has tracked the company’s regulatory interactions and industry positioning, sometimes presenting contrasting views about environmental risks and regulatory responses, as seen in investigative and regional reporting in 2024–2025.[6][2]
If you’d like, I can:
- Narrow to a specific date range or topic (environmental compliance, rate cases, new projects, or financial results).
- Pull direct excerpts or summarize a particular article or press release in more detail.
- Create a quick snapshot table of key regulatory actions, project announcements, and financial moves for Alabama Power over the past 12–24 months.
Would you prefer a more focused brief on regulatory actions, or a broader period overview with a simple timeline? I can also provide citations for each item upon request.