The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) on Thursday awarded Southern Company the 92nd annual EEI Edison Award, which is widely considered the national electric utility industry’s most prestigious honor.
Southern Company, the parent company of Alabama Power Company, received the award for its portfolio of energy storage research and development (R&D) initiatives.
The award in large part stemmed from the development, commissioning and operation of the Energy Storage Research Center (ESRC) in Birmingham. This center, previously featured on Yellowhammer News, was developed in collaboration with Southern Research, the Electric Power Research Institute and the U.S. Department of Energy, among others.
Another key, related Southern Company system energy storage R&D initiative is Alabama Power’s Smart Neighborhood.
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“As we prepare Southern Company to succeed in the transition to a net-zero carbon future, our many energy storage R&D initiatives – including the Energy Storage Research Center, Alabama Power and Georgia Power Smart Neighborhoods, and other enterprise-wide pilot demonstrations – are advancing energy storage as an effective, technically viable energy solution,” stated Tom Fanning — chairman, president and CEO of Southern Company.
A release from EEI detailed that a panel of former energy industry executives selected Southern Company for the high honor.
“EEI member companies continue to integrate technologies, such as energy storage, into the energy grid, helping to pave the way for the clean energy future our customers want and deserve,” commented EEI president Tom Kuhn.
“Southern Company’s leadership and technical expertise behind the testing, development and deployment of a diverse portfolio of energy storage solutions improves the resiliency and reliability of the grid and also creates tremendous value for customers. Congratulations to the Southern Company team for their outstanding work and for winning this well-deserved award,” he said.
The Energy Storage Research Center serves as an industrywide destination for battery energy storage technology testing, evaluation and large-scale demonstration.
“We are grateful to receive the electric power industry’s most prestigious honor and proud to personify what this award represents,” Fanning concluded. “I want to thank Tom Kuhn and the distinguished panel of judges who participated in this year’s selection process. I would also like to thank our R&D partners in these efforts, including Southern Company’s operating subsidiaries, the Electric Power Research Institute, U.S. Department of Energy and many others. Their collaboration is essential as we move emerging energy storage technologies forward.”
Before Thursday, Southern Company last won the Edison Award in 2012 for leading the nuclear renaissance in the United States.
The latest award came as Alabama Power is seeking proposals for potential renewable energy projects, including those related to renewable energy storage technologies.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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