ATLANTA, March 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Labor
and Management Public Affairs Committee (LAMPAC) has named Southern
Company Chairman, President and CEO Thomas
A. Fanning as a recipient of the 2015 John D. Dingell Award.
Fanning and North America's
Building Trades Unions President Sean F.
McGarvey will be presented the award at a reception in
Washington, D.C. this evening.
Fanning and McGarvey were recognized for their shared commitment to
new nuclear development and partnership in building two of the
nation's first nuclear units in more than 30 years at Southern
Company subsidiary Georgia Power's Plant Vogtle.
Named for the longest-serving member of Congress, the
John D. Dingell Award is presented
to leaders whose efforts have helped to advance the common
objectives of the electric power industry and International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) members. Mr. Dingell
served as Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee for
many years, where he amassed an impressive record of
accomplishments on a wide range of issues, many of which focused on
labor management collaboration.
"Leading the way in new nuclear development requires a shared
focus on safety and quality as the highest priorities," said
Fanning. "This award is a tribute to the thousands of men and women
dedicated to ensuring nuclear remains a dominant solution for
America's energy future through the construction of Vogtle units 3
and 4."
Under Fanning's leadership, the Southern Company system has
committed $20 billion to developing
the full portfolio of energy resources – nuclear, 21st century
coal, natural gas, renewables and energy efficiency. As part of
this commitment, Georgia Power's Plant Vogtle units 3 and 4 are
designed to generate enough combined electricity to power 500,000
homes and businesses. The Vogtle project is the largest
job-producing project in Georgia,
currently employing more than 5,500 construction workers onsite,
and will result in 800 permanent jobs when the plant begins
operating.
Subsidiary Southern Nuclear is overseeing the construction and
will operate the units for Georgia Power and co-owners Oglethorpe
Power Corporation, the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and Dalton Utilities. Southern Nuclear
currently operates Plant Vogtle's two existing nuclear power units,
as well as Georgia Power's Plant Hatch and subsidiary Alabama
Power's Plant Farley. These facilities provide 20 percent of the
electricity used in Alabama and
Georgia.
Fanning's nuclear leadership extends beyond Southern Company. He
is a member of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations board of
directors and the World Association of Nuclear Operators – Atlanta
Centre governing board. In addition, Fanning serves as chairman of
the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council, vice chairman of
the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), a member of the international
advisory board of the Atlantic Council and chair of the board of
directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
National LAMPAC – a joint effort of EEI and IBEW – is a labor
and management public affairs committee created in 2008 to advance
the common objectives of the electric power industry and IBEW
members. Through National LAMPAC, labor leaders and electric
utility executives advance the common goals of a well-managed,
efficient business, with a ready supply of qualified, skilled
workers and the hope of greater prosperity and growth.
With more than 4.5 million customers and approximately 46,000
megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is
the premier energy company serving the Southeast through its
subsidiaries. A leading U.S. producer of clean, safe, reliable and
affordable electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in
four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well
as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company
brands are known for energy innovation, excellent customer service,
high reliability and retail electric prices that are below the
national average. Southern Company and its subsidiaries are leading
the nation's nuclear renaissance through the construction of the
first new nuclear units to be built in a generation of Americans
and are demonstrating their commitment to energy innovation through
the development of a state-of-the-art coal gasification plant.
Southern Company has been recognized by the U.S. Department of
Defense and G.I. Jobs magazine as a
top military employer, listed by DiversityInc as a top company for
Blacks and designated a 2014 Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic
Network. The company received the Edison Award from the Edison
Electric Institute for its leadership in new nuclear development,
was named Electric Light & Power magazine's Utility of the Year
for 2012 and is continually ranked among the top utilities in
Fortune's annual World's Most Admired Electric and Gas
Utility rankings. Visit our website at
www.southerncompany.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain information contained in this release is
forward-looking information based on current expectations and plans
that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information
includes, among other things, statements concerning future capital
expenditures and generation capacity and job creation related to
Plant Vogtle units 3 and 4. Southern Company cautions that there
are certain factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the forward-looking information that has been
provided. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on this
forward-looking information, which is not a guarantee of future
performance and is subject to a number of uncertainties and other
factors, many of which are outside the control of Georgia Power;
accordingly, there can be no assurance that such suggested results
will be realized. The following factors, in addition to those
discussed in Southern Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2014,
and subsequent securities filings, could cause actual results to
differ materially from management expectations as suggested by such
forward-looking information: the impact of recent and future
federal and state regulatory changes, as well as changes in
application of existing laws and regulations; the ability to
control costs and avoid cost overruns during the development and
construction of facilities, which include the development and
construction of generating facilities with designs that have not
been finalized or previously constructed, including changes in
labor costs and productivity, adverse weather conditions, shortages
and inconsistent quality of equipment, materials, and labor,
contractor or supplier delay, non-performance under construction or
other agreements, operational readiness, including specialized
operator training and required site safety programs, unforeseen
engineering or design problems, start-up activities (including
major equipment failure and system integration), and/or operational
performance (including additional costs to satisfy any operational
parameters ultimately adopted by the Georgia Public Service
Commission ("PSC")); the ability to construct facilities in
accordance with the requirements of permits and licenses, to
satisfy any operational and environmental performance standards,
including any Georgia PSC requirements and the requirements of tax
credits and other incentives, and to integrate Plant Vogtle units 3
and 4 into the Southern Company system upon completion of
construction; legal proceedings and regulatory approvals and
actions related to Plant Vogtle units 3 and 4, including Georgia
PSC approvals and Nuclear Regulatory Commission actions and related
legal proceedings involving the commercial parties; the inherent
risks involved in operating and constructing nuclear generating
facilities, including environmental, health, regulatory, natural
disaster, terrorism, or financial risks; and the ability of
counterparties of Georgia Power to make payments as and when due
and to perform as required. Southern Company expressly disclaims
any obligation to update any forward-looking information.
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SOURCE Southern Company