Five Star Restoration
Southern Company is the lead corporate sponsor for Five Star Restoration which provides grants and technical support for community-based education and outreach projects in riparian (land-bordering waterways), coastal, or wetland areas.
Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests and coral reefs in biodiversity. Wetlands play an integral role in the ecology of the watershed. In addition to providing habitat for reptiles, fish, waterfowl, mammals, plants, and more, wetlands absorb excess nutrients, sediment, and other pollutants before they reach rivers, lakes, and other water bodies.
When rivers overflow, wetlands help to absorb and slow floodwaters, which can alleviate property damage and loss, and can even save lives. They are great spots for fishing, canoeing, hiking, and bird-watching, and they make wonderful outdoor classrooms for people of all ages.
Current Five Star partners include the Environmental Protection Agency, National Association of Counties, and Wildlife Habitat Council. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation administers this program. Southern Company committed $1.2 million in matching funds over five years (through 2010) for projects in our region that foster natural resource stewardship.
Organizations receiving grants under the program must then match the grant, thus resulting in at least a $400,000 impact each year. Additionally, $40,000/year will support the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's management of this program.
Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage
Southern Company is researching how to capture and store carbon dioxide emitted from power plants to keep it out of the atmosphere.
National Carbon Capture Center
Southern Company will manage and operate the U.S. Department of Energy's National Carbon Capture Center, expected to be a focal point of national efforts to develop advanced technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-based power generation. The center, located in Alabama and scheduled to be fully operational in 2010, will work with scientists and technology developers from government, industry and universities who are creating the next generation of carbon capture technologies.
25-Megawatt Demonstration
Southern Company will manage and operate the U.S. Department of Energy's National Carbon Capture Center, expected to be a focal point of national efforts to develop advanced technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-based power generation. The center, located in Alabama and scheduled to be fully operational in 2010, will work with scientists and technology developers from government, industry and universities who are creating the next generation of carbon capture technologies.
Underground Carbon Dioxide Injection
Southern Company will manage and operate the U.S. Department of Energy's National Carbon Capture Center, expected to be a focal point of national efforts to develop advanced technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-based power generation. The center, located in Alabama and scheduled to be fully operational in 2010, will work with scientists and technology developers from government, industry and universities who are creating the next generation of carbon capture technologies.
Unmineable Coal Seam Injection
Southern Company will manage and operate the U.S. Department of Energy's National Carbon Capture Center, expected to be a focal point of national efforts to develop advanced technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-based power generation. The center, located in Alabama and scheduled to be fully operational in 2010, will work with scientists and technology developers from government, industry and universities who are creating the next generation of carbon capture technologies.
Enhanced Oil Recovery Injection
Southern Company will manage and operate the U.S. Department of Energy's National Carbon Capture Center, expected to be a focal point of national efforts to develop advanced technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-based power generation. The center, located in Alabama and scheduled to be fully operational in 2010, will work with scientists and technology developers from government, industry and universities who are creating the next generation of carbon capture technologies.
Chilled Ammonia Carbon Dioxide Capture Pilot
Southern Company will manage and operate the U.S. Department of Energy's National Carbon Capture Center, expected to be a focal point of national efforts to develop advanced technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-based power generation. The center, located in Alabama and scheduled to be fully operational in 2010, will work with scientists and technology developers from government, industry and universities who are creating the next generation of carbon capture technologies.
Southern Company is committed to reducing greenhouse gases and making sure that electricity stays affordable and reliable. To do this, Southern Company is developing and launching new technologies!
Is it possible to have no air emissions from a power plant?
With nuclear power, it is! Nuclear power is a way to meet demand for electricity with no air emissions, including carbon dioxide. In fact, by 2016, Southern Company is moving to meet energy demand with nuclear energy for many locations!
To that end, Southern Company is pursuing a new combined construction and operating license process and advancing new nuclear technologies through NuStart Energy Development—a nuclear technology energy consortium comprised of power generation companies and reactor vendors. We are also pursuing adding two new units at Plant Vogtle in Burke County, Georgia. Southern Nuclear has filed applications with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for an Early Site Permit and a Combined Construction and Operating License at Plant Vogtle. The Early Site Permit will allow the NRC to review and pre-approve the plant site for construction of new nuclear units and will allow the company to conduct design, construction, and other site-specific evaluations before making a decision to build. The Combined Construction and Operating License provides a unified license to construct and operate a new plant based on an NRC pre-approved design at a specific site. Additionally, Georgia Power received state certification for the units on March 17, 2009.
TRIG™ Clean Coal Technology
Because we know coal will be in our fuel mix for some time to come, it makes sense to find cleaner ways to use it. Over the past decade, Southern Company has been developing cleaner, less expensive, more reliable methods for power production from coal at the Power Systems Development Facility near Wilsonville, Alabama.
Rather than burning coal directly to make electricity, we're breaking coal down into chemical components. Gases that result from this chemical breakdown can fuel systems which are more efficient and cleaner than coal. Now we've taken gasification one step further.
Developed with our partner KBR, a new process, called Transport Integrated Gasification, uses air rather than pure oxygen to gasify the coal with 20-25% fewer carbon dioxide emissions than existing coal plants. To put it simply, Southern Company has developed the most efficient coal-fired electricity generation technology in the world!