Alabama Power named to Top 10 for economic development

 

Site Selection magazine named Alabama Power one of North America's top 10 utilities for economic development in 2009.

Criteria included the number of jobs the company helped create; the amount of capital investment by the utility; and flexibility and creativity working with clients. Comments from consultants in the site selection industry and interviews with the utilities themselves were considered.

According to the magazine, Alabama Power invested $2.3 billion in capital projects at the utility and worked to help create more than 9,000 new jobs in its service territory, which includes the southern two-thirds of the state.

Greg Barker, Alabama Power's senior vice president for Business Development and Customer Support, credited two key aspects for the company's success: preparing communities to position themselves to attract prospects; and strong partnerships and good working relationships with local and state governments and other economic development agencies.

"We have great economic development leaders throughout this state, and that includes some excellent leaders at the local and regional level too," Barker told the magazine.