Renew Our Rivers program receives National Hydropower Award

ATLANTA – Southern Company’s Renew Our Rivers program received the highest award in the hydropower industry at the National Hydropower Association’s (NHA) annual conference last week in Washington, D.C. The company was one of four named as a 2007 Outstanding Steward of America’s Waters (OSAW).
The project originated in 2000 at Southern Company subsidiary Alabama Power’s Plant Gadsden on the Coosa River and has since spread across Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Mississippi. It is now the largest river systems cleanup effort in the southeastern United States and winner of numerous awards.
In recognizing the Renew Our Rivers program, the NHA noted the innovation, collaborative partnerships, accomplishments and environmental stewardship efforts that are an essential part of the program. Southern Company received the 2007 OSAW award in the Recreational & Environmental Enhancement category based on the expansion of its cleanup efforts to remove more than 30 tons of debris in river areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. Employees across four states joined local civic and governmental agencies from south Mississippi to spend three days removing litter and debris left behind by the storm.
Highlights and notable accomplishments of Renew Our Rivers will be listed on The Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters Web report at http://www.outstandingwaters.org/ which illustrates exemplary projects and programs that demonstrate the best practices in producing climate-friendly, affordable and renewable electricity. Company representatives were recognized at a special luncheon at the conference. -more-
Renew Our Rivers program receives National Hydropower award Page 2
“Renew our Rivers has been a wonderful opportunity for our employees to partner with the local community in addressing the need to remove trash from our waterways. Expanding our river clean up efforts beyond our state boundaries to the hurricane ravished areas in Mississippi exemplifies the partnership value of the program in cleaning up our water resources across the southeast.” said Chuck Huling, environmental affairs vice president for Georgia Power, the largest subsidiary of Southern Company.
Renew Our Rivers is entering its eighth year with spring cleanups throughout the southeast. The program is spearheaded by community volunteers and company employees. Since its inception in 2000, 6,000 volunteers have removed more than 7.5 million pounds of trash. This year’s goal is reflected in its slogan “Moving Toward 11 in 2007.” The 2006 cleanups removed 196,820,000 pounds of litter from waterways in Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Mississippi, to achieve a total of 7,508,500 pounds.
More than 1100 volunteers removed 161,510 pounds of debris in Georgia last year. Cleanups are held annually on the Chattahoochee, Flint, Ocmulgee, Oconee, Chattooga and Tallulah Rivers.
Renew Our Rivers was recognized by Keep America Beautiful with its national Litter Prevention Award in 2006. Georgia Power received the Business Leadership Award from Georgia’s Rivers Alive organization in 2005 for its work in the Renew Our Rivers program.
For more information about Renew Our Rivers and details about Georgia Power’s environmental initiatives, please visit www.georgiapower.com. Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the nation’s largest generators of electricity. The company is an investor-owned, tax-paying utility, serving customers in 57,000 of the state’s 59,000 square miles. Georgia Power’s rates are below the national average and its 2.3 million customers are in all but four of Georgia’s 159 counties.