July 9 was our first meeting at the Energy Center, the new SCS/SNC offices at the Colonnade.  Our featured speaker was Brad Adams, Southern Nuclear Company’s Vice President of Engineering.  He spoke about “Leveraging Technology to Reduce Risk and Improve Reliability”, describing the nuclear industry’s plant digitalization technology initiatives.

Our Retiree Lifestyle Segment kicked off the meeting with a talk on the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) through the University of Alabama, by Glenn Morgan.

Here are some pictures from the meeting and tour of the new Southern Company offices.

July 9 is our first meeting at the Energy Center, the new SCS/SNC offices at the Colonnade.   Please note that the cafeteria will not be available this day so you may wish to eat lunch at Colonnade before our meeting. A group tour of the Energy Center will be available immediately after the program. Address is 3535 Colonnade Parkway, Birmingham AL 35242.  We are meeting in North Tower, 6^th floor, Room 600.  Click here for a map.

Our featured speaker will be Brad Adams, Southern Nuclear Company’s Vice President of Engineering and recognized Industry leader.  He will be speaking on “Leveraging Technology to Reduce Risk and Improve Reliability”, describing the nuclear industry’s plant digitalazation technology initiatives.

Digitalization encompasses a wide variety of remote sensors and monitoring/surveillance devices used to gather data, leveraging connectivity such as Wi-Fi inside the plant.  The “insights” gleaned from analyzing this data enable better operating/maintenance decisions which result in operating efficiencies that lower costs.

For example, Nuclear plant operators are shifting from time-based preventative maintenance towards a more condition-based approach inside the plant. These methods can enhance the performance of nuclear power plants and reduce costs by proactively optimizing performance, reducing outage durations, and hiking return-on-investment for assets.

Changes in nuclear regulations and improved cyber security defenses are needed to fully implement digitalization.  EPRI has risk-informed process pilots underway at Arizona’s Palo Verde and Duke’s Oconee nuclear plants.

Click here for more information on Brad Adams.

Our Retiree Lifestyle Segment kicking off the meeting is a talk on the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) through the University of Alabama, from Glenn Morgan. Glenn serves on the OLLI Advisory and Curriculum Committees and focuses on marketing the program.  OLLI offers mature adults an opportunity to take classes (non-academic credit) in a wide variety of subjects.  With courses taught in Greater Birmingham, Gadsden, Pickens County, as well as in Tuscaloosa, OLLI provides mature adults with opportunities to learn new things, make friends, travel and embrace life.  Courses are taught by volunteers who share their knowledge and passions.  Click here for more information on OLLI.

MEETING DETAILS:

When: Monday, July 9, 2018
Where: 3535 Colonnade Parkway, Birmingham, AL – North Tower, 6^th floor, Room 600
Board meeting: Noon
Lunch: Cafeteria is not available for this meeting.  Please eat before arriving for the meeting.
General Meeting: 1 p.m.

We hope to see you there!

Our May 2018 meeting was held at “The Club” and featured two great speakers. Retired Alabama Power Vice President Julia Segars opened the meeting with informal update on “Life After Southern”, speaking about her second career as an award-winning humor columnist and author of the book Aunt Sister.  She began the columns under the pen name “Aunt Sister” so as not to interfere with her corporate career. Julia’s husband Frank Segars, an SCS retiree, appears frequently in her columns and in the book as Aunt Sister’s husband “Fred”, along with other family members and an odd assortment of Southern folks, “bless their hearts”.  Julia grew up in Bluff Park, which is known as “The Mountain” in her book.   Keep up with her on her Aunt Sister Facebook page, or her website https://auntsister.com/

The excellent Executive Update was given by E&CS Vice President Paula Marino. She explained that consumer demand is changing, and The Southern Company is changing as well. Paula noted that the relationship between economic growth and electricity sales seems to be changing. Despite economic growth, commercial electricity sales remain weak. Energy efficiency and e-commerce may be causing a fundamental shift in the commercial class.

To combat this, Southern is working to find new revenue sources. We are focusing on technology development for the production, delivery and end-use of energy with projects such as APC’s Smart Neighborhood to demonstrate distributed energy resource (DER) use case optimizing cost, reliability, and environmental impact with a community-scale microgrid. The Reynolds Landing neighborhood demonstrates building-to-grid integration with real time utility to customer interaction.

Indoor agriculture is another promising area. Indoor agriculture saves water, reduces pesticides, makes use of vacant buildings, and provides access to fresh foods.

Collaboration with governments, utilities, universities, and technology developers such as EPRI and DOE is key, for projects such as National Carbon Collection Center and the Next-Gen Nuclear.   Electric vehicle use is increasing.

Defensive measures to cut costs include closing business offices, restructuring, optimizing workforce, retiring facilities, increasing efficiencies, outsourcing labor, standardizing work products.   Offensive measures include increasing bill pay options, expanding renewable portfolios, deploying distributed generation, adding service offerings, exploring new revenue streams.

Here are some additional pictures from the meeting:

During the past year, we have made several contributions to charitable organizations and sent donations or flowers to family members in the memory of some of our former colleagues.  Please click on the following links to view letters and notes of appreciation we have received for these donations.

Clem Matlock and Geoff Huddleson

Mike Griggs

Bennie R. Williams

Big Oak Ranch

Oak Mountain Mission

Our much-anticipated Executive Update will take place on May 14, 2018 when we will have an opportunity to hear the latest information on SoCo happenings from keynote speaker SCS Executive Vice President Paula Marino. Retirees and their guests will fellowship over a delicious meal in a beautiful setting overlooking the city (The Club atop Red Mountain).

To kick off the meeting we will have our Retiree Lifestyle Segment update on “Life After Southern” from retired Alabama Power Vice President Julia Segars, speaking about her second career as an award-winning columnist and author of the book Aunt Sister.

Click here to see more information about the meeting and our speakers.

Here is the agenda:

MONDAY, MAY 14, 2018

LOCATION:

THE CLUB
1 Robert Smith Drive, Homewood, AL

SCHEDULE:

10:45 a.m. – Check-in of Retirees, spouse and/or guest – Social Time

11:00 a.m. – SCS/SNC Retirees Board Meeting

12 Noon – Luncheon Menu:
Garden Salad, Roasted Tomato and Parmesan Stuffed Chicken Breast Roulade, Twice Baked Potato, Seasonal Vegetable Medley, Orange Rolls, Yeast Rolls, Traditional Chocolate Cake and Creme Brulee.

12:45 p.m. – Program:

Life After Southern, Julia Segars, Owner Segars Creative (retired Alabama Power VP Eastern Division)

Executive Update, Paula Marino, Executive Vice President of Engineering & Construction Services (E&CS)

1:45 p.m. – Door Prizes and Adjournment

SCS/SNC Retirees in Alabama should have already received a hardcopy invitation in the mail. Reservations are required and must be received with your deposit by April 30 to Dora Brandt.  Cancellations are accepted up to May 7. If you have any question, call Dora at 205-956-0502 or email her at brandtd@bellsouth.net

We have already received over 150 paid responses!  If you haven’t already sent in your reservation, send it in today.  Don’t miss out!