Alabama Power coal ash cleanup estimate grows to $3.3 billion Updated Dec 16, 2020; Facebook Share 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.