2022 CC Transition Report Spreads Flat Final - Flipbook - Page 17
Community and environmental commitment
Southern Company and our operating
companies are at the heart of our
communities and have long been strong
community leaders and drivers of local
economic development as part of our
commitment to being a citizen wherever
we serve. Our people live, work, play and
thrive around the facilities that generate
power for their homes and the homes
of their neighbors. We are sensitive to
the potential economic impacts that
decommissioning or repowering a longlived facility could have on lives.
A unique strength of Southern Company
and our operating companies is
economic development. By focusing
on economic development, particularly
in areas that may be impacted by
plant retirements or repowerings, we
are doing our part to strengthen our
communities as we decarbonize. In 2021
alone, the relationships of our electric
utilities – Alabama Power, Georgia
Power and Mississippi Power – with
state and community partners resulted
in the creation or retention of more than
23,000 jobs and over $9.5 billion in capital
investment. Alabama Power and Georgia
Power have been repeatedly recognized
as “Top U.S. Utilities for Economic
Development” by Site Selection Magazine.
Plant Riverside Entertainment District, Savannah, Georgia
Plant Riverside: A plant’s new life along the river
Ideally, the next life of a facility includes an
economically viable and vibrant purpose that benefits
the communities the plant has served for generations.
We want to leave a site better than before, mitigating
environmental impacts and laying the groundwork for
the infrastructure that moves communities forward.
Savannah’s Plant Riverside has found an exciting new
life as the centerpiece development of a riverfront
entertainment district for locals and tourists alike.
Situated alongside the Savannah River in the heart of
downtown, Plant Riverside began its service in 1912
and was decommissioned in 2005.
Economic development
Each retirement and transition in the fleet presents unique opportunities. While some sites continue their useful
life by converting to new fuel sources, others take on innovative and sometimes unexpected purposes.
As part of our aim to benefit and improve local communities, we hope to attract new business, redevelop or
repurpose sites that are no longer part of our fleet. Southern Company teams work closely with state and local
agencies as well as private partners to consider a wide array of options when it comes to repurposing our sites.
Plant Kraft in Chatham County, Georgia, is one such example. Following its retirement in 2015, a portion of the
property was donated to the Georgia Ports Authority for continued expansion of their facility. The Georgia Ports
Authority operates as a vital storage and supply chain facility that is one of the leading economic drivers in the
state and the fourth busiest port in the United States.
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Just Transition Report
Former Plant Riverside
We sold the site in 2012 to the Kessler Collection
and plans took shape for a mixed-use development
including a hotel, restaurants and entertainment with
the historic power plant as its centerpiece. The $270
million project broke ground in 2016 and opened in the
summer of 2020. Using sustainable building and site
development practices, elements of the plant were
repurposed for an exciting and historic reimagining of
the facility. Designers took special care to save original
materials, including preservation of the plant’s iconic
chimneys. Plant Riverside’s former control room is now
used for wine storage.
“Mr. Kessler and his team did a great job of trying
to preserve the plant and repurpose as much as
possible. We worked closely with him and with
the developers, and we even had some longtime
employees discuss the past uses and the specific
equipment on the site,” said William Mock, Georgia
Power coastal plant manager.
These days, tourists and locals alike enjoy luxury hotel
rooms, three rooftop bars, more dining options, unique
retail shops, cultural and science exhibits, and access to
a quarter mile of new river walk. And the immediate
area is now attracting additional investment with
townhomes and other amenities planned.
Just Transition Report
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