Alabama Power has received the “Outstanding Commercial Achievement Award” from the American Wind Energy Association for helping to bring cost-effective wind power to the Southeast, along with TradeWind Energy, the Kansas company from which it’s purchasing the electricity.

“Alabama Power is doubling down on wind. We’re always looking for environmentally friendly ways to produce and obtain rights to reliable, cost-effective electricity. These two agreements represent a win-win for the company and the people we serve.”

The association presented the award before over 400 leaders of the U.S. wind energy industry at its annual Fall Symposium, held Nov. 14-15 in Chandler, Ariz.

Alabama Power, a subsidiary of the Southern Company, made its first wind power purchase last year. In signing off on the contract, the state Public Service Commission noted at the time that the “price of energy from the wind facility is expected to be lower than the cost the company would incur to produce that energy from its own resource…with the resulting energy savings flowing directly to the Company’s customers.”

John Kelley, Alabama Power’s Director of Forecasting and Resource Planning, said that including another recent deal, the company’s energy mix now includes 404 megawatts of energy from wind – enough to power the equivalent of 115,000 homes. Under the contracts, Alabama Power has the flexibility to use the wind energy to serve customers and retire the associated renewable energy credits, or sell the energy and renewable energy credits to others, separately or bundled together.

Source: Business Wire