Alabama Power coal ash cleanup estimate grows to $3.3 billion
Updated Dec 16, 2020;
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Alabama Power expects to spend $3.3 billion over the next several years to close its coal ash ponds, a growing expense that already led to higher utility bills across the state.
Last year Alabama Power estimated those cleanup costs to be around $2.8 billion, but the company’s assistant comptroller, Wendy Hoomes, told state regulators last week during a public hearing that the new estimate is $3.3 billion.
Last year, Alabama Power increased customer rates by about 3%, citing coal ash clean-up costs as a driving factor. Next year’s 2 percent increase, which takes effect in January, is not tied to coal ash or environmental compliance costs, but other infrastructure costs.