1. Electric Transportation – It’s much more than just electric vehicles. We are promoting a multitude of total electric transportation and charging technologies at airports, seaports, rail yards, mines, and distribution centers. The Georgia Port Authority in Savannah, the fourth largest container port in the U.S., is successfully lowering operating costs and emissions by replacing diesel-fueled equipment – ship-to-shore cranes and refrigerated cargo racks – with electric equipment. So far, the port has reduced diesel usage by more than 4 million gallons a year. More electrification possibilities lie ahead. Georgia Power’s Dale Holloway (left) works with Georgia Port Authority’s Andy Leighton to help find more efficient ways to operate the port.

2. Net Metering – We’re providing net metering for customers who are installing sources of renewable energy for their homes or businesses. Through our grid interconnection, we make sure their lights stay on when necessary, and we provide credits for any excess energy they return to the grid. Scott Arnold, of Compass Solar Energy, installed a solar energy system on the Gulf Breeze, Fla., home of Charles Stitzel, a Gulf Power net metering customer.

3. Energy Select – Gulf Power is the first electric utility in the nation to offer this type of advanced energy management program to customers. Energy Select customers receive a programmable thermostat that puts them in control of how much energy they purchase, when they purchase it, and what price they pay. The thermostat allows customers to control their central heating and cooling, their electric water heater, their pool pump, and even their plug-in electric vehicle. The Energy Select variable rate is structured so that customers like Navarre, Fla., resident Cynthia Villanova have the opportunity to pay a lower price for electricity 87 percent of the time. When Southern Company completes its deployment of smart meters, more of our customers will have access to an enhanced version of Energy Select.

Electric Vehicles – It’s no longer a question of if or when. The question now is, how large will the market be for this exciting, smart technology? For more than a decade, we’ve worked with auto manufacturers to understand the use of electricity as a transportation fuel and its impact on the grid. Now, we’re helping to develop industry standards for this year’s multi-vehicle rollout. We’re also evaluating plug-in electric vehicles – hybrid and total electric – and charging technologies for use in our operations. The next step is to become a leader in advanced electric transportation technologies.

Energy-Efficient Technologies – We continue to explore new technologies as we search for more high-efficiency customer offerings. Among our demonstrations are heat pump water heaters, low-wattage LED (light-emitting diode) street and area lighting, and state-of-the-art appliances that use significantly less energy and water. We have commercial and residential customers who are already enjoying the efficiency of geothermal and heat pump heating and cooling systems. Smart appliances will also play a role in our future, giving customers the option of controlling these household appliances via the Internet.

Pricing Options – We have long been on the leading edge of offering customers a voice in their energy usage. Our real-time pricing allows large industrial and commercial customers to make usage decisions based on real-time energy costs. Our Power Credit customers are rewarded for reduced demand when usage soars, and our Energy Select customers receive signals when energy prices peak. As smart, new technologies continue to be deployed, more of our customers will have access to the information they need to make informed energy-usage decisions.