Southern Company - Corporate Responsibility Report: Climate Challenge Program

The Climate Challenge Program, begun in 1994, was a joint effort between utilities and the Department of Energy to reduce, avoid, or sequester greenhouse gases. Although the program is no longer recruiting new members, we continue to track our programs and report the cumulative results. Cumulative carbon dioxide avoidance over the last 15 years has amounted to reductions equal to about one entire year of carbon dioxide emissions across all our plants.

Figures in the graph derive in greater part from: (a) efficiencies and improvements adding to nuclear power output, (b) new lower emitting generation and other combustion-fueled plant efficiencies, (c) demand side and energy efficiency programs, (d) transmission equipment improvements limiting line losses, (e) limiting leaks of gases like sulfur hexafluoride from transformers and insulators, (f) tree planting and (g) general operational gains.