Utility poles in Birmingham, Alabama (Flickr)

Alabama Power is a private electric utility corporation that serves the southern two-thirds of Alabama. It’s owned by Southern Company, the Atlanta-based behemoth that ranks as the third largest electric utility in the United States.

Alabama Power has been in the news recently, and not for good reasons. A January 2024 Guardian exposé revealed how the corporation uses its vast resources and influence to finance news coverage that portrays the utility in a positive light and avoids potentially damaging information. Another January 2024 Guardian story showed how the utility uses philanthropy to shell out millions to civil rights rights leaders and front groups that support the industry’s agenda, including opposing solar panels. All this comes on top of previous investigations — by NPR and the Guardian in 2022, for example — that covered how Alabama Power’s network attacked critical regulators.

But if you know anything about electric utilities, none of this should be a surprise.

As LittleSis discussed in our Power Lines report, electric utilities are some of the most powerful actors in the entire corporate power structure, especially at the state and regional levels. Many hold virtually monopolies over our access to energy and rake in billions in guaranteed profits. They spend huge amounts of money on campaign donations and lobbying to influence politicians and regulators, and they fund vast philanthropic arms to burnish their public image and co-opt potential opponents (NextEra Energy subsidiary Florida Power and Light, in particular, has faced major scandals over its political dirty tricks operation). Look at the board of any local or state chamber of commerce, corporate-aligned charity, or big university, and you’ll likely find representatives of utility power.

This post digs into the power behind Alabama Power — its shareholders, board, executives, philanthropy, donations, lobbying, and more — to go deeper into how the corporation is an emblematic example of the power and influence of utilities.

Top Shareholders

While Alabama Power executives manage the day-to-day operations of the utility, Southern Company is the real power behind the corporation. Southern Company owns all of Alabama Power’s common stock and designates its board directors. Their logos are identical. Alabama Power’s CEO, who is also its Chairman and President, is selected by Southern Company. Alabama Power is just one of several utility subsidiaries that Southern Company owns; others include Georgia Power and Mississippi Power.

Five asset managers, listed below, beneficially own almost 27% of Southern Company’s common stock.........

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