Alabama Power has completed the purchase of the Central Alabama Generating Station in Autauga County – a historic move that will support the long-term energy needs of Alabama Power customers.

The 885-megawatt, natural gas combined-cycle generating facility can produce enough power to serve more than 220,000 homes. The facility, in Billingsley, was formerly owned by Tenaska Alabama II Partners L.P., of which Omaha, Nebraska-based Tenaska was the managing partner and operator. Nineteen Tenaska employees will join Alabama Power as the company takes over operations.

Alabama Power completes purchase of Central Alabama Generating Station from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

The purchase of the plant by Alabama Power was unanimously approved by the Alabama Public Service Commission.

“We’re excited to add Central Alabama to our diverse generating fleet, and we welcome the plant’s employees to the Alabama Power team,” said Jim Heilbron, Alabama Power senior vice president and senior production officer.

“Central Alabama will play an important role in meeting the future needs of our customers for resilient, reliable, affordable energy,” Heilbron said.

Because of prior, existing contracts, Central Alabama won’t begin to provide energy to Alabama Power customers until 2023. Proceeds from those contracts, however, will benefit Alabama Power customers.

It is the first time in Alabama Power’s 114-year history that the company has purchased a natural gas generating facility from a third party. The plant has been reliably serving its customers since 2003.