What:   Robots built by student teams from more than two dozen
          Alabama high schools face off in the first Alabama BEST state
          championship.

  When:   Friday and Saturday, Oct. 26-27, 2001.

  Where:  Auburn University, Student Activities Center

  Background:  Alabama BEST -- Boosting Engineering Science and Technology
  -- is a contest designed to inspire students to consider careers in
  science and engineering.  The top three teams in this weekend's tournament
  will head to Texas to participate in the national championship.  A fourth
  team also will travel to Texas to compete in the BEST Award competition.
  The BEST Award is judged on separate criteria, including overall
  presentation and community and school involvement in the project.

      NASA Astronaut Jim Voss, an Auburn-trained engineer who just returned
  from the International Space Station, is scheduled to address the teams
  Friday night.  The actual competition takes place Saturday in the Student
  Activities Center gymnasium.

  Here's a partial schedule of activities:

                               Friday, Oct. 26

  12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.    Team Registration (Student Activities Center)
  7:30 p.m.              Opening Ceremony (Student Activities Center)
                         Featuring NASA Astronaut Jim Voss

                              Saturday, Oct. 27

  8:15 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.  Robot Check-in (Student Activities Center)
  10 a.m. - noon         Parade of Machines
                         First (Preliminary) Round
  1:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.     Second (Elimination) Round
  4:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.     Championship Round
  5:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.     Awards Ceremony

      The Alabama Power Foundation, Southern Nuclear and Southern Company
  Generation and Energy Marketing are key sponsors of Alabama BEST.  Alabama
  Power and other Southern Company employees also are contributing to the
  program by providing mentors for some of the teams.

      For more information about the Alabama BEST program, call Dr. George
  Blanks at Auburn University at 1-800-446-0382.  Or log on to the Alabama
  BEST web site at www.alabamabest.org.

      Alabama Power provides affordable, reliable electric service to more
  than 1.3 million customers statewide. Alabama Power, Southern Nuclear and
  Southern Company Generation and Energy Marketing are all part of Atlanta-
  based Southern Company , one of the largest producers of
  electricity in the United States.

  News Media Contact:  Michael Sznajderman
  Media Inquiry Line:  (205) 257-4155
                       msznajde@southernco.com

PRNewswire -- Oct. 24

SOURCE: Alabama Power Company