May/June 2015 - Georgia Power

THE
citizen
MAY /JUNE 2 0 1 5 • PUBLISHED FOR GEORGIA P OW E R E M P L O Y E E S AND R E T I R E E S
E L E C T R I C T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
Georgia Power has a long history of commitment to its customers, the community and the
environment. From energy-saving programs and services, to a great reliance on clean energy
resources, Georgia Power is helping its customers save money, contributing to the economic
development of the communities it serves, and helping to protect the nation’s natural
resources. So, it’s no surprise that, when it comes to electric vehicles, Georgia Power is
paving the way for clean transportation.
Northwest Region Distribution Manager, Ashley Koby’s family with their second EV.
This issue of The Citizen explores the company’s commitment to growing the electric vehicle
infrastructure in the state for all Georgians.
“Our objective is to influence sales patterns and
increase charging infrastructure at home, in the
workplace and in the community, and then take
those learnings from the pilot and share them with
the Public Service Commission in 2016.”
Q&A with Carl Jackson
Electric Transportation Project Manager
By Meredith Leigh Knight
E
lectric vehicle (EV) ownership is on the rise, and no other state in the region has embraced plug-in
electric vehicles (PEVs) more than ours. Georgia ranks in the top percentile of nationwide electric
vehicle registration, while Atlanta is a leader in the sale of PEVs. At the forefront is Georgia Power
with Carl Jackson, electric transportation project manager, paving the way.
The Citizen recently sat down with Jackson to find out what’s in store for customers, employees
and the state in the growing EV market.
Q: Tell us about your organization.
A:The electric vehicle (EV) “Get Current. Drive
Q: Tell us about the infrastructure.
A: We believe the right infrastructure appropri-
Electric” initiative is a two-year, $12 million
project. The concept started in 2014. It came
out of Southern Company’s annual meeting and
questions from the audience.
Southern Company Chairman, President
and CEO Tom Fanning said we were going to
make a big splash in 2015, so we were charged
with developing and implementing a robust and
comprehensive statewide EV program.
First, we developed a pilot program to promote and accelerate the adoption of EVs in the
state. Our objective is to influence sales patterns
and increase charging infrastructure at home, in
the workplace and in the community, and then
take those learnings from the pilot and share them
with the Public Service Commission in 2016.
We are focusing on education and awareness, residential and business incentives, and
infrastructure. We’ve launched a big campaign
to do this that includes radio, television, billboards, YouTube videos and face-to-face sales.
We are also looking at our fleet. Five percent of annual acquisition dollars are being
spent on plug-in vehicles. We recently deployed
32 hybrid Chevy Volts for our region energy services folks, and this summer we will have six
hybrid bucket trucks in our fleet.
ately placed can accelerate the growth of the EV
market. We are promoting infrastructure placements in homes, at work and in the community.
The residential and business infrastructure programs are incentive-based, and we are paying
rebates to help defray the cost of installation.
We also have planned for 61 community charging infrastructure sites that we will own, operate and maintain. These sites will be convenient
and accessible to the public.
Photo: Christopher Moore
Q:What are the challenges?
A:It’s like building a bike while riding it. It’s a
new and rapidly growing market opportunity
with fledging suppliers. We are sorting through
a cache of first-time vendors and entrepreneurs.
Since we are working on an expedited timeline,
resources can be an issue.
Q:What are the benefits of
driving EVs?
A:It makes good sense for customers to drive
electric vehicles. EVs have a positive impact
on our environment. They decrease our dependence on foreign fuels, and drivers can take
advantage of tax credits, both state (through
June 30) and federal. The attractive Georgia
Power PEV rate allows drivers to charge their
cars at home for pennies per day.
Q:How will Georgia rescinding
the state tax credit affect EV
sales?
A:Factors that drive EV sales are tax credits, attractive lease programs, HOV/HOT lane
access, workplace charging access, PEV rates,
public DC fast charging, improvements in EV
range, and education and awareness. Georgia
House Bill 170 rescinded the Georgia zeroemission vehicle tax credit, which was a tax
credit up to $5,000 for battery electric vehicles.
We still have federal tax credits and many other
incentives. Buying an EV is good for customers
economically. We expect sales to spike this
year as a result of the media coverage, but we
have no way of knowing the significance of
impacts thereafter. I believe that our education
and awareness campaign will help to undergird
the market through 2016.
Q:What’s your background?
A:I’m a mid-career hire. I didn’t start my
career at Georgia Power, but I got here as
soon as I could. I have a plant engineering and
sales background, with a multinational track
record in development, marketing and sales of
branded engineered and commodity products. I
graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in
Lexington with a major in civil engineering and
later received an MBA in finance.
Q: Tell us about your family.
A: My wife, Roxie, and I have two children.
Our son is a senior at Virginia Tech and is graduating this spring with a degree in engineering,
and our daughter is a sophomore at Southern
Cal. Both offspring were first-team high school
all-American lacrosse players. My son played
football in college, and my daughter plays
lacrosse in college.
Q:Here’s a wildcard question:
What is something about you that
we might not know?
A:I enjoy cooking. My specialties are anything on the Big Green Egg – bitter food (citrus
zests, rapini, chicories, endives, and an assortment of fresh spices) and slow cooking. In
fact, I do 95 percent of the cooking at home.
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HUGS THE ROAD
AND THE TREES.
GET CURRENT. DRIVE ELECTRIC.
tm
Georgia Power EV billboard
EV Initiative launches awareness campaign
T
he Georgia Power Electric Vehicle (EV) Initiative customer
education and awareness ad campaign launched this month.
The Electric Vehicle Initiative was started
last year to promote the benefits of electric
vehicles, educate customers, develop charging
stations, and offer rebates for residential and
business chargers for customers.
The effort is built around the theme “Get
Current. Drive Electric,” which is based on
customer research and designed to address
the benefits and barriers customers have when
considering an EV. The campaign’s goal is to
drive awareness and consideration of EVs
when customers are thinking of purchasing
their next vehicle.
The “Get Current. Drive Electric” campaign
assures consumers that driving electric is not
only the right thing to do but that the technology is ready for a driver to do all the things they
need to do in a day while driving an EV.
The campaign consists of TV, radio and
outdoor and digital elements, as well as an EV
field guide video series featuring real EV drivers sharing their experiences.
In the series of four field guide videos, EV
owners touch on the three types of EVs and
defuse the idea of range anxiety; speak to the
ease and availability of charging stations, the
three types of EV chargers and overall EV performance; and describe the reliability and the
advanced technology of today’s EVs. Another
EV driver focuses on the ease of owning an EV,
the fuel cost savings and the little to no maintenance. All four videos can be found on the EV
website.
Follow Georgia Power’s EV Initiative on
Twitter and Facebook.
The “Get Current. Drive Electric” campaign assures
consumers that driving electric is not only the right thing to do
but that the technology is ready for a driver to do all the things
they need to do in a day while driving an EV.
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Georgia Power celebrated the addition of 32 new Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to its
statewide fleet at an event at 241 Ralph McGill.
The vehicles, wrapped in Georgia Power red with the slogan, “Get Current. Drive Electric,” will be
driven by the company’s energy auditors to raise awareness and promote Georgia Power’s electric
vehicle (EV) programs.
Chairman, President and CEO Paul Bowers;
Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tim
Echols; Carl Jackson, electric transportation
project manager; and Michael Beinenson,
president of the Electric Vehicle Club of the
South all spoke at the event.
SOCIAL MEDIA SAMPLING
FROM TWITTER:
Twitter – @georgiapowerET
Georgia Power has been involved in the
electric transportation field for 20 years,
and now we are bringing our expertise to
the foreground.
We are excited to announce the
addition of two publicly available EV
chargers to the Georgia Power HQ
parking lot!
• 8 RETWEETS
• 10 FAVORITES
Atlanta resident Tum shares how
driving an electric vehicle has changed
his life.
• 3 RETWEETS
• 4 FAVORITES
“There isn’t another utility company
doing what @GeorgiaPower is doing.”
– Michael Beinenson,
president of @EVCotS
• 9 RETWEETS
FROM FACEBOOK:
Facebook – Facebook.com/Georgia
PowerElectricTransportation
Jennifer shares with us how driving an
electric vehicle has changed her and
her family members’ lives. Has driving an
electric vehicle impacted your life?
RESPONSES:
Allen Shpigel – 13 months into my Tesla
ownership. The best car in the world!
Adam Israel Brodofsky – I am 16 months
into my Leaf and I love it. It is the best car
I ever owned. My only problem is range,
but not bad. Glad I changed over and will
buy the next gen as well.
Brandy Micklewright – I love my Leaf.
• 4 FAVORITES
“Georgia Power is the company that
can ensure electric vehicles work
everywhere.”
– Commissioner@timechols
• 3 RETWEETS
• 3 FAVORITES
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The family car is now electric
By Kirk Martin
H
undreds of Georgia Power employees have embraced an electric vehicle as the family car, and
while EV drivers can describe the quirks of their transportation choice, few seem to regret the
decision.
For Ashley Koby, Northwest Region distribution
manager, getting his Nissan Leaf was a simple
financial decision made attractive by government incentives that reduced the cost of the
lease, and reinforced by the prospect of skipping the gas pump. He was also happy to be
promoting promising new electrical end uses.
As with many EV drivers, he admits some
early “range anxiety,” but he quickly got used to
managing the car’s energy needs.
“It’s a perfect car for right around Rome
(Ga.),” he said. “I can go all day around Rome
and still have plenty of range left at the end of
the day.”
With growing confidence in the car and
his ability to charge it when needed, Koby now
occasionally drives the car from Rome to meetings in the Atlanta area, a distance of about 75
miles. “In the winter, I would have to stop in
Marietta to charge it for 15 to 20 minutes.”
The car got its most ambitious test when
the Koby family took it from Rome to Gatlinburg,
Tenn., on a vacation trip. They charged four
times on the way and three times returning,
taking advantage of quick chargers at Cracker
Barrel restaurants along the way.
Koby likes the Leaf enough that he probably
will act before incentives expire to get another
one before the lease on the first one ends in
October. That means his will be a two-EV family
for a few months.
For Carol Jensen, a CSO staff accountant
and keen analyst of costs and benefits, the
choice to acquire a Nissan Leaf was not quite
so simple. She had known about the $12,500
tax incentives for EV leasing, but her husband
was not in favor of electric cars. After exacting
consideration of the financial implications, she
convinced her husband to try EVs with the stipulation that they get quick chargers. They each
leased identical Nissan Leafs – on the same day.
“I think it was kind of life-changing,” she
said. They got rid of one of two gasoline cars
and have not bought gas in over a year. “It
meets our needs perfectly, and being green
For Ashley Koby, Northwest Region distribution manager, getting his Nissan Leaf was a simple financial decision made attractive
by government incentives that reduced the cost of the lease, and reinforced by the prospect of skipping the gas pump.
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saves you money. We figure we can just rent a
car if we need to.”
Jensen and her husband are not worried
about the lease ending on their Leafs or the
expiration of tax incentives. After even more
intense analysis of the financial advantages,
they have since purchased their vehicles and
received another $5,000 off the residual price
through dealer incentives.
One advantage Jensen has discovered as
a Georgia Power employee driving an EV and
charging it at the corporate office is the camaraderie she enjoys with other EV drivers.
“You can’t just park your car at a charger
and leave it there all day,” she said.
She knows she must shuttle her car to
another parking place once it’s charged, and
she appreciates other drivers who leave notes
on their cars relinquishing the plug after a certain time.
Amy Fink, a corporate communication
specialist at Georgia Power, is somewhat
in the minority when she plugs in her allelectric Ford Focus at 241 Ralph McGill –
almost always between a Nissan Leaf and
another Leaf. She went with the Ford because
she liked the visual styling over the Nissan.
For about six months, the Focus was Fink’s
only car. “It’s a great commuter car for me, but
on the weekends I’m all over the place with the
kids. I found I needed a gasoline car.”
Still, she depends on the car most days
for her roughly 80-mile roundtrip commute. “I
had a lot of range anxiety at first, but I’m a lot
more relaxed now. You just have to plan your
trips. You learn to calculate.”
Fink wishes her car had come with the
fast-charger option, but about two hours on
a Level 2, 240-volt charger is enough to get
her home each day. To better cover any range
issues, when the lease expires, she may
explore a plug-in hybrid, like the Chevy Volt.
EV drivers universally wish they had more
widespread charging options. Jensen explored
the possibility of taking her Leaf on excursions
from Atlanta to Savannah but does not yet trust
that she can find chargers along the way.
Koby also wants to see more chargers on
the map. “If you had quick chargers within 50
to 60 miles of each other, it would make it an
ideal choice.”
What would EV drivers change about their
cars?
“You learn that in cold weather you’re not
going to have the range you usually do,” Fink
said. In the winter, she now wears heavier coats
and avoids using the car’s heat when she can.
Koby agrees. “I was surprised at the
impact cold weather has. Below about 35
degrees, it cuts the battery range to about
half,” he said. “But the kids love how quick it
gets warm in the winter.”
Amy Fink, a corporate communication specialist at Georgia Power,
is somewhat in the minority when she plugs in her all-electric Ford
Focus at 241 Ralph McGill – almost always between a Nissan Leaf
and another Leaf. She went with the Ford because she liked the
visual styling over the Nissan.
One advantage [Carol] Jensen has discovered as a
Georgia Power employee driving an EV and charging it at the corporate office is the camaraderie she
enjoys with other EV drivers.
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EV GLOSSARY
Type of Electric Vehicles:
Battery Electric Vehicle
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have no gasoline engine
and run exclusively on the energy stored in on-board
batteries. These vehicles can run for 100 miles or more
before recharging and include the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi
iMiEV, Ford Focus Electric and Tesla models.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are similar to
hybrid vehicles with the addition of larger batteries that
plug into the grid. This enables users to drive farther on
electricity while adding the convenience of continued
driving on gasoline. Examples include the Toyota Prius and
Ford c-MAX. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are powered
by an internal combustion engine or other propulsion
source that can be run on conventional or alternative fuel
and an electric motor that uses energy stored in a battery.
Extended-Range Electric Vehicle
Extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) have larger
battery packs that allow for all-electric driving up to 40
miles. After battery depletion, the car uses a gasolinepowered generator that allows extended-range driving,
up to 300-plus miles.
Plug-in Electric Vehicle Rate:
The Plug-in Electric Vehicle rate (PEV) provides a discount
on electricity during nighttime hours, 11 p.m. until 7 a.m.
With the PEV rate, you can save money on your electric
bill just by making simple changes like setting a timer for
your vehicle to charge at night and shifting your other
electricity usage from weekday summer afternoons. The
PEV rate has three different time periods: on-peak, offpeak and super off-peak.
•Super off-peak: The super off-peak time period is
from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., every day. If you charge your car
during these nighttime hours, Georgia Power will pass its
lowest prices to customers.
•Off-peak: The Off-peak time period represents the
majority of hours in the year. It is priced higher than the
super off-peak time period, but much lower than the
on-peak time period.
Charging station at 241 Ralph McGill.
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•On-peak: The on-peak time period – the time when
it costs most to produce electricity – is weekdays, June
through September, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., non-holidays.
The PEV prices are higher during the peak period, which
represents about 5 percent of the hours in a year. Although
more costly, on-peak times also provide an opportunity
for you to save. Something as simple as raising the
temperature setting on thermostats during peak times or
shifting use of a clothes dryer away from peak times can
result in even more savings to one’s bill.
Company helps customers ‘Get Current. Drive Electric™’
with new residential EV charger rebate program
By Kirk Martin
G
eorgia Power announced the latest addition to its industryleading electric transportation program – electric vehicle (EV)
charger rebates for residential customers and new-home
builders.
Introduced as part of the company’s “Get Current.
Drive Electric” initiative, the new rebate program
offers qualifying residential customers a $250
rebate for installing a Level 2 charger (208/240volt) and qualifying new construction builders a
$100 rebate for each dedicated 240-volt plug-in
ready circuit installed in new homes.
To qualify for the rebate, installations must
be completed by Dec. 31, 2015, and:
For Residential Customers
• Must be a Georgia Power customer.
•208/240-volt Level 2 charger with dedicated circuit.
•Single-family homes only.
•Third-party vendors or EV charging businesses not eligible.
For New-Home Builders
•Home must be served by Georgia Power.
•Dedicated 240-volt plug-in ready circuit,
including NEMA 14-50 outlet.
•New, single-family homes only.
•Third-party vendors or EV charging businesses not eligible.
Georgia Power’s new “Get Current. Drive
Electric” campaign builds on the company’s continued efforts to advance Georgia as an exceptionally EV-friendly state. Other efforts include
an ongoing public education program, recently
launched EV charger rebate program for business customers, and special rates and charging
options for EV customers.
In addition to potential savings over gasolineor diesel-fueled vehicles, Georgians who drive
electric may be eligible for state
and federal tax
incentives, can register for free access to the
state’s HOV and HOT lanes with single occupancy
and may experience additional savings through
Georgia Power’s special Plug-in Electric Vehicle
(PEV) rate. The company estimates that customers who sign up for this rate and charge their cars
between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. could see
the cost equivalent of paying approximately 43
cents per gallon for gasoline.
For additional information about driving electric with Georgia Power, including available rebate
programs and resources such as an interactive savings calculator, visit www.georgiapower.com/EV.
EV enthusiasts are also encouraged to join the
company’s social EV communities on Facebook
(Facebook.com/GeorgiaPowerElectricTransportation),
Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPowerET) and Instagram
(Instagram.com/GeorgiaPowerET).
EV DISCOUNT PROGRAMS
Southern Company has recently expanded its offerings to employees on special discounts
for various electric vehicle models, with substantial savings off dealer pricing.
EV employee discounts are available with the following: BMW EV, KIA,
GM, Nissan and Ford. All employees are eligible to participate in the
programs. For more information, contact Diane Harris or Ben Echols
or visit sotoday.southernco.com/discounts/employee-discounts.
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Did
You
Know
?
Atlanta ranks as
the eighth most congested
city in the U.S.
Overall, traffic costs Georgia
Electric Vehicles in Georgia
BY THE NUMBERS:
17
Georgia’s electric vehicle tax credit that ends June 30
was first approved in 1998, making it 17 years old.
At that time, the credit was for up to $1,500. Two
years later, the credit was upped to $2,500, and the
following year it was doubled to $5,000 for zeroemission vehicles.
$125 million – The average amount
the elimination of the low- and
zero-emissions tax credits
are expected to generate
each year over the next
five years.
employers approximately
$2.5 billion a year.
congestion and delays cost Atlanta
commuters some
44 hours and $1,046 in lost time
and productivity.
More than 40 percent of Georgia
counties received failing grades by
the American Lung Association for
ozone and particle pollution –
two of the most dangerous air
pollutants.
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15,500
Each year, traffic
15,500 – The approximate number of EVs registered in the state. Of that number, 80 percent are
in the metro Atlanta area.
EV
Fun
Facts
$7,500
Electric vehicles have been around
for more than 180 years – in fact,
an EV held the vehicular land speed
record until around 1900.
If 60 percent of U.S. vehicles were
powered with electricity,
there would be a one-third reduction
in the amount of greenhouse
gas emissions produced by
U.S. transportation.
Transitioning to PEVs could
$7,500 – The amount of a federal income tax credit
reduce U.S. oil dependence by
Georgia EV buyers will still qualify for after the state
credit ends.
more than 80 percent.
The ability to charge at work
$3.3 million – The
approximate amount of
state revenue the new
$200 registration fee for
EVs that goes into effect
July 1 is projected to generate each year.
can potentially double a PEV
driver’s all-electric daily
commuting range.
Installing an EV charger can
help your building earn points
toward LEED® Silver, Gold or
Platinum certification.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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IN MEMORIAM
RETIREES
K. A. Slayton, 89, specialist, internal auditing, Dec. 16
Linda J. Capps, 64, administrative assistant, Georgia Control Center,
Feb. 26
James S. Benton, 74, lead engineer, substation support, Jan. 15
Ira L. Herring, 65, Columbus engineering, Feb. 27
R. H. Grunewald, 90, warehouseman, Vogtle project, Jan. 16
Aaron Staples, 84, forester, operating line, Feb. 28
Lamar B. Leach, 91, supervisor, land engineering, Jan. 25
James T. Evans, 81, customer service manager, March 3
Clarence Davis, 61, senior instrument technician, Plant McDonough,
Jan. 26
Sim Scott, 70, operator, Wallace Dam, March 4
Larry W. Wilson, 72, operator, Wallace Dam, Jan. 30
Betty J. Moulton, 86, secretary, MIS, March 10
Steve M. Reeves, 65, apprentice electrician, Plant Yates, Feb. 4
Samuel B. Jones Jr., 97, substations-general, Feb. 6
Gary D. Morris, 66, region coordinator, supply chain management,
March 11
Thomas A. Pruitt, 92, system operations general manager, Transmission
Maintenance Center, Feb. 7
Nathaniel C. Demore, 85, maintenance supervisor, Plant McDonough,
March 17
Horace C. Booker, 63, boiler turbine operator, Plant Branch, Feb. 12
Grady C. Hawkins, 90, senior field service rep, Dunwoody, March 3
Charles L. Mills, 74, area manager, Evans, Feb. 14
J. Gilbert, 76, mechanic, Plant Mitchell, March 22
James F. Shirley, 65, mechanic, Plant Hammond, Feb. 15
James P. Ward, 94, foreman, line operations, Smyrna, March 22
James D. Head Jr., 86, land engineering, Feb. 18
R. W. Brown, 91, engineer, commercial services, Waycross, March 23
James W. Holloway Jr., 76, facilities superintendent, facilities
operations and maintenance, Feb. 21
H. J. Shaffer, 81, security officer, Plant Vogtle, March 25
M. W. Truitt, 81, general clerk, Plant Scherer, Dec. 3
the
Citizen
Internal Communications
Manager
Lisa Frederick
Editor
Meredith Leigh Knight
Design
Jane Hill
The Citizen is published by
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