The AIEC is a voluntary association of large industrial customers of electric power from the Alabama Power Company, a regulated utility in the state of Alabama. James D. Price of Georgia-Pacific serves as chairman for the group and serves to spearhead group activities, including meetings, policy discussions, coordination with Alabama Power Company, disseminating news and other matters, and providing the general direction of the group. He is assisted by four representatives of other companies who serve as the steering committee.
The AIEC enables member companies to be actively involved in Alabama electric power issues. These efforts include monitoring ongoing regulatory issues; engaging frequently with officials of Alabama Power Company, the Commissioners and their staffs at the Alabama Public Service Commission; and assisting the development of public policy regarding electricity in the state of Alabama. The AIEC regularly intervenes in proceedings before the Public Service Commission involving Alabama Power Company’s rates and proposed projects, either cooperatively or adversarially as warranted. This effort has proved to be an effective means to engage the Alabama Power Company on important issues and has helped guide member companies for their own specific planning purposes.
On the forefront of this effort is the group’s legal counsel, C. Richard Hill Jr. of Capell & Howard P.C. in Montgomery, Alabama. Rick appears before the Commission at its monthly meetings and reports on pertinent activity, keeps the group informed on PSC electricity developments, and intervenes for the AIEC in PSC proceedings. Representatives of the Alabama Power Company, primarily Zeke Smith and Nick Sellers, confer regularly with Rick and exchange information important to the group.
The group is also served by Jeff Pollock, a professional energy consultant and principal of J. Pollock, Inc. in St. Louis, Missouri. Jeff advises the group generally, undertakes specific projects assigned to him by the group, provides expert testimony in proceedings before the PSC, and conducts electricity seminars for members and the PSC staff.
In addition to providing valuable information for members’ own planning purposes, the group has favorable affected issues concerning Rate ECR, including the implementation of seasonal ECR, timing alterations of Rate ECR, natural gas and other hedging programs, Rate CNP, the development of APCO’s disaster reserve fund, and otherwise serving as a watchdog for the regulatory decisions by APCO.
There are no membership dues. Each calendar quarter, the companies are billed for their respective share of fees and costs. Twenty-five percent of the bill is allocated equally and 75% is allocated proportionate to each company’s reported power usage based upon the prior calendar year.
Membership is open to industrial class customers of Alabama Power Company upon application and signing the membership agreement. Other than power usage, member companies are not required to disclose company information. For additional protection, all members sign a confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement.