Powering Progress: How Southern Company is ensuring America’s energy future

– Q –

How do you see the state of the US energy market? Are we producing enough to meet our needs and do we have enough capacity for the future?

Chris Womack: Energy markets are dynamic but there is enough capacity to meet existing demands. Looking into the future, there’s questions and there’s recognition of the need to ensure that additional resources will be available to meet growing demand.

It speaks to the importance of having diverse resources going forward. We must make sure that all the resources that we’re blessed with in this country are made available to meet growing demand. At Southern Company, we believe in an “all-of-the-above” strategy.

– Q –

New technologies like artificial intelligence, data centers and electric vehicles are very energy intensive. How do these innovations impact the energy market?

They add to the demand. They all require additional capacity. As we think about planning, we recognize that more of the economy has been electrified. That means there’s demand for additional power resources. Again, it’s speaking to why this country must look at a balanced portfolio that utilizes all the available resources.

– Q –

What does that ideal energy mix look like to ensure a supply that is clean, safe, reliable and affordable?

It’s continuous development of technology that supports those objectives. As we move forward, Southern Company will continue to make investments and develop new technologies that support goals like “net zero.” There will be continuous use of renewable resources, like wind and solar, battery storage and hydrogen, as well natural gas. This country has an incredible abundance of natural gas, and it must be a part of the mix.

For fossil fuels, we must invest in carbon capture technologies to make sure that we can utilize those resources while finding ways to support our sustainable direction.

– Q –

Do energy consumers, including homes and businesses, have a role to play in sustainability?

We must encourage and provide incentives for customers to use energy more wisely. You must start with conservation and energy efficiency as you begin to think about meeting the demands of customers now and into the future.

– Q –

How can you get customers to use energy more efficiently?

A big part is education, making sure they understand that bills and prices will be lower as you adjust your thermostat — leaving your thermostat at 78 degrees versus 76, for example. At the same time, there also has to be other financial incentives to encourage customers to use energy wisely and understand what the peak periods are, when there’s high demand and how you can scale back. A variety of campaigns along that line will help customers understand the importance of being energy efficient.

– Q –

What needs to happen to make renewables a bigger part of the energy mix?

Solar is in the upper teens of our energy mix, and we’ve grown it significantly over the past decade. From a pricing standpoint, it‘s competitive and it has this niche as an important part of our grid. But we also always must look at the grid and the electric system to make sure we have dispatchable resources that are always available under every circumstance.

– Q –

Earlier this year Southern Company’s Plant Vogtle Unit 4 nuclear plant came online in Georgia. How important is that to our energy future?

It’s very important. Plant Vogtle is the largest generator of clean energy in the U.S. The project shows we can build new nuclear in this country. It’s an important resource in meeting the needs of our customers today and well into the future.

– Q –

Are concerns about nuclear based on outdated notions regarding safety?

They’re outdated from the long past. If you look at new technologies and the safety systems that are an integral part of them, you can see many of those issues and questions have been addressed. We feel really good about the safety at all of our nuclear plants. This country has demonstrated its ability to operate safe nuclear power plants. It’s important that we get back to it and make sure that the government is providing the support and the encouragement necessary to continue to build more nuclear and make those kinds of investments.

– Q –

Does Plant Vogtle Units 3 & 4 have any new innovations around safety?

Certain systems, like gravity-led large water tanks, will automatically cover the reactor core if there is ever an event. There are a number of other safety systems embedded in the plant and our teams are always operating with a safety-first mindset.

– Q –

In terms of the regulatory framework around energy distribution and production, are there ways you feel that could be optimized by the next administration or Congress?

There are always improvements to be made. The most important thing is to recognize the importance of a sound energy policy that also supports our national security and our economic security. When you look at the demands we see forthcoming, energy policy will become even more critical.

– Q –

Are there any specific issues that you’re focused on that you would maybe like to see some movement on?

I think the support for new nuclear development is important. And we need environmental regulations that make sure we’re able to utilize all the existing resources in this country, and that we’re not picking winners and losers. At the end of the day, making sure that they’re keeping the needs of customers top of mind from a reliability, resiliency and sustainability standpoint. And also from the standpoint of affordability, making sure we’re balancing all those needs as we think about energy policy going forward.

– Q –

Southern Company is committed to “net zero emissions” by 2050. What progress are you making?

We also made an interim goal of having a 50% reduction by 2030. We are at that mark already so we are ahead of that goal. We’ll continue to make investments in renewable resources as we go forward. We’re looking at building and bringing online around 10,000 megawatts between now and the end of the decade. 80 percent of those resources will be clean renewable resources.

– Q –

Anything going on with generative AI at Southern Company?

There are several use cases that we’re looking at, from how do we manage vegetation, how do we do predictive maintenance on our equipment, how do we assess customer behavior, how do we assess what customers will adopt EVs, where charging infrastructure should be put in place and more. There’s a long list of opportunities that are available because of artificial intelligence, and it’s up to us to take full advantage to help us be better in the delivery of our services.

– Q –

What are you most proud of or passionate about as the leader of Southern Company?

Southern Company, throughout its history, has had this deep commitment to meeting the needs of its customers and we’ve never shied away from that. That has been our North Star. As we look into the future, that priority has not shifted. At the same time, we will continue to make investments in new technology and new resources to ensure that we’re collaborating to meet the needs of customers and communities.

Southern Company is committed to an energy future that is clean, reliable and affordable.