THE
citizen
JU LY/ AUGUST 2016 • PUBLISHE D FOR GE ORGIA POWER EM PLO YEES A N D RETIREES
THE
citizen
JUNE 2016 • PUBLISHED FOR GEORGIA POWER EMPLOYEES AND RETIREES
This issue of The Citizen ex
Power’s commitment to hav
of energy sources that allow
develop and deploy innovat
safe, clean, reliable and aff
After 43 years, The Citizen
print publication is merging with Citizen Online.
This final issue explores
the employee and retiree
publication’s origin and
evolution over the past
four decades.
GENERAT
The first issue
of The Citizen
was published
May 1, 1973.
Headlines reflected
the economic
turmoil of the
times, including
“Income decline
forces reduction in
financing,” “Woes
in construction,
revenue cited in
1972 annual report,”
and “Company
appeals Fulton Court
rate case ruling.”
The issue also
featured an article
on the new look and name of the publication, a photo of Tallulah Falls young people and Georgia Power employees participating in a
cleanup effort to clear the road and main highway of trash, as well as employee accolades, promotions, retirements and obituaries.
citizen
THE
says
FAREWELL
43
after
A
years
In its final transition, The Citizen
enters the digital world, merging with
Citizen Online to provide employees both
breaking news and in-depth features
while engaging and interacting with
employees in real time.
s part of Georgia Power’s ongoing efforts to reflect the evolving needs of company
employees, this will be the last issue of the printed version of The Citizen.
The 43-year-old publication will be absorbed into the newly revamped
Citizen Online, allowing for more timely news and information, more
engaging features and multimedia clips. The interactive elements
of Citizen Online also allow employees to take a greater role in
communicating what is important to them.
The move to all-electronic communication not only mirrors the growing
national trend of companies and many media companies going alldigital, but also reflects the way Georgia Power employees tell corporate
communication they want to receive their news and information.
The move is also the latest change in the evolution of The Citizen over
the past 43 years, as it has shifted format, frequency, circulation and
editorial emphasis to meet the changing needs of Georgia Power.
First introduced in 1973, The Citizen replaced longtime company
publication Snap Shots and was published twice monthly. In 1976, it
became a monthly magazine and in July 1989 it became a bimonthly
publication.
After The Citizen became a bimonthly publication, the company began
pub-lishing This Week to provide more timely news and information
in addition to the magazine.
In March 1993, The Citizen and This Week merged to become The
Citizen Weekly, allowing the company to focus human and financial
resources on a single publication, as well as to reduce printing costs.
The Citizen Weekly was tabloid-sized, reported on the utility industry
in more detail and offered more in-depth reporting without sacrificing
See Farewell, page 4
f a r e w e l l • j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 6
35
> continued from page 3
FAREWELL
the immediacy of breaking news.
In the late 1990s, as digital communications began to make inroads, The
Citizen continued to evolve, first moving
to a format where it was published
twice monthly and eventually, in 2011,
to a monthly publication with a single
theme such as transmission, economic
development and charitable giving,
among others.
In its final transition, The Citizen enters
the digital world, merging with Citizen
Online to provide employees both
breaking news and in-depth features
while engaging and interacting with
employees in real time.
43
T
YEARS OF
he United States ended its nearly 10-year military involvement in
Vietnam. President Richard Nixon told the nation, “I am not a crook,”
as the Watergate hearings began. The Supreme Court ruled on Roe vs.
Wade, making abortion a constitutional right. Inflation soared and the
Arab oil embargo shook the way of life for Americans.
The year was 1973. Georgia Power was busy building new generating units to keep up with the pace of the
state’s growth at the same time earnings were declining and expenses were rising. Double-digit inflation
and the oil embargo caused electric rates to jump. The cost of power poles shot up 80 percent, and the cost
of transformers 24 percent. For only the second time in the company’s history, rates began to climb as the
expense to build new generating units exceeded technological advances.
Just as the early 1970s marked a turning point in the electric generating business, it also began a new era
in Georgia Power employee communications with the introduction of The Citizen.
The new publication replaced Snap Shots, which had
been the company’s monthly employee newspaper for
more than half a century. An editorial in the first issue
explained the reason behind the change: “The name
Snap Shots has served us well through more than half
a century. In order, however, to reshape the publication
to fit an ever-changing company and its employees,
the new name of The Citizen will more
accurately reflect employees’ concern
with Georgia Power and its motto, ‘A
Citizen Wherever We Serve.’ ”
Although The Citizen has evolved
throughout the years, its mission of
providing employees vital company news
and information has remained unchanged
since it started 43 years ago. The same
mission will continue to live on as it
merges with Citizen Online.
The article promised the increased frequency of The Citizen would provide employees and
retirees with more timely information about people and events at Georgia Power: “Georgia
Power employees must know the facts about the company’s financial situation and be able
to answer questions about Georgia Power’s need for a rate increase. We need to know the
facts about groups which attack our industry. And we need information on ways to conserve
electricity so we can offer help to those who complain about high bills or worry about the
possibility of an energy crisis. Communicating vital company information to employees will be
one of the functions of The Citizen.”
Although The Citizen has evolved throughout the years, its mission of providing employees
vital company news and information has remained unchanged since it started 43 years ago.
The same mission will continue to live on as it merges with Citizen Online.
July 1974 • Plant Hatch comes on line
In 1974, Georgia Power added four major generating units to keep up with the state’s
growth, including the state’s first nuclear facility, Plant Hatch Unit 1.
4
j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 6 • f a r e w e l l
THE CITIZEN
September 1978 • Safety
Safety has always been priority No. 1 at Georgia Power.
December 1976 • Wallace Dam
Construction of new generation facilities
was in high gear as revenues were
declining.
April 1977 • The environment
The 1970s saw the formation of the
Environmental Protection Agency and new
clean air rules legislated.
September 1980 • Powering Atlanta’s
new $500 million airport
When the airport opened in 1980, Georgia
Power built a massive $2.5 million
electrical system to power the state-of-theart facility.
November 1980 • Riding the rails with
Atlanta’s new electrically powered
rapid rail system
After a 30-year absence, electric trains
made a comeback in Atlanta with the
establishment of the Metropolitan Atlanta
Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).
May 1981 • 333 Piedmont:
The leaning tower of power
By 1980, Georgia Power had
outgrown the 270 Peachtree
Street building. The company
moved into its current headquarters at 241 Ralph McGill
Boulevard in 1981. It was then
known as 333 Piedmont Ave.
September 1987 •
The future of solar
The Citizen reported on
what it would take to
make solar generation
an option for the
company.
f a r e w e l l • j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 6
5
July 1996 • An opening to remember!
Georgia Power volunteers assisted in
every corner as the 1996 Centennial
Olympic Games began July 19 with the
opening ceremonies.
July 1994 • Georgia’s Flood of ‘94
Tropical storm Alberto, referred to as the “Storm of
the Century,” dropped more than a foot a day of rain,
resulting in floods that left the state with at least 28
dead and damages estimated at $110 million.
August 2000 • Diversity and inclusion key
to company’s future
Then-President and CEO David Ratcliffe created
the Diversity Advisory Council to address longterm challenges and opportunities for increasing
the company’s commitment to diversity.
June 1989 • Vogtle Unit 2 begins serving
Georgia
The company’s last nuclear unit, Vogtle Unit 2,
went into service May 26, 1989. The two-unit
project has often been cited as the best nuclear
plant in the world.
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December 1999 • Customer Care Center opens
In 1999, David Ratcliffe became Georgia Power’s
12th president. That same year, Georgia Power
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consolidated several call centers into one location in
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November 2003 • Plants Atkinson and Arkwright
demolished after more than 70 years of generation
Plants Atkinson and Arkwright were both demolished in
late 2003, mostly by explosive demolition. That series
of dramatic events began July 26 when Arkwright’s
585-foot-tall exhaust stack was felled like a huge tree
by about 100 pounds of explosives. Boilerhouses at
Atkinson collapsed after a series of well-timed blasts
on Nov. 8, and a similar Dec. 5 “implosion” of the
boilerhouses at Arkwright was the final spectacle.
Turbine buildings at both plants had been demolished by
conventional means prior to each explosive event.
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September 2005 • Katrina: A disaster of
‘extraordinary proportions’
In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated
Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Georgia Power
sent 2,100 employees and contractors to restore
service, the largest relief effort ever by the company.
They were part of a utility workforce of more than
9,200 from around the country and Canada assisting
with restoration efforts.
July 2006 • Merger with Savannah
complete
After more than 124 years since its founding,
Savannah Electric merged with Georgia
Power in 2006. The merger added 150,000
accounts to Georgia Power’s customer base.
citizen
S P E C I A L
THE
D O U B L E
I S S U E
J U LY/ A U G U ST 2 0 1 5 • P UBLIS HED FOR GEOR GIA P OW ER EMP LOY EES AN D R ETIR EES
SAFETY
April 2012 • Vogtle 3 & 4 commemorative issue
In 2012, Georgia Power was issued the nation’s
first Combined Construction and Operating License
for Plant Vogtle units 3 and 4, the first new nuclear
units to be built in the United States in more than
30 years.
July/August 2015 • Georgia Power celebrates
10 years of Target Zero
The company celebrated the 10th anniversary of the
company’s safety initiative.
THE
Carrollton area employees celebrated 10 years Target Zero in 2014.
citizen
JUNE
2016
• PU
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This iss
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Citizen
Power’s
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commit
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Georgia
of energy
having
source
a broad
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develo
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p and dep that allows us
to resear
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safe, cle
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an, reliab innovative wa
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June 2015 • Generation
Georgia Power’s broad portfolio of
energy sources were highlighted.
ATTENTION RETIREES!
April 2014 • Storm issue
Whether it be thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes
or winter snow and ice, Georgia Power is prepared.
Perhaps no storm illustrated this more than winter
storm Pax. Over a four-day period, power was
restored to more than 701,000 Georgia Power
customers, who temporarily lost power as a result
of one of the worst storms in Georgia’s history.
GENERATIO
N
The editors of The Citizen understand the
publication has been a valuable way for
retirees to keep up with Georgia Power
news and information. Even though
a hard copy of the publication will no
longer be mailed to you, The Senior Citizen, Energizer
and up-to-date news stories will be updated regularly online at
georgiapower.com/about-us/georgia-power-retirees/home.
nce
f a r e w e l l • j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 6
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IN MEMORIAM
EMPLOYEE
Jonathan W. Fowler, 39, operations specialist, Plant Bowen, Oct. 29
RETIREES
Joseph D. Tew, 65, boiler turbine operator, Plant Bowen, May 5
David L. Pitman, 80, fleet mechanic, May 8
Tiajuana C. Robinson, 69, customer service representative, May 11
M.O. Crosby, 83, senior PBX operator, May 13
Joseph L. Fulghum, 68, lineman, Cuthbert, May 16
Horace H. McGuire, 89, Savannah Electric, May 17
J.M. Harris, 88, senior clerk, May 19
L.D. Thompson, 79, heavy equipment operator, May 19
W.D. Whiten, 79, assistant boiler operator, Plant Wansley, May 20
Jimmy L. Ballard, 62, boiler turbine operator, Plant Yates, May 25
M. Ellison, 85, mechanic, Plant Branch, June 15
Jimmy W. White, 74, troubleman, June 17
J.B. Waggoner III, 59, electrician, June 24
the
Citizen
Internal Communications
Manager
Jim Barber
Editor
Amy Fink
Design
Jane Hill
The Citizen is published by
Corporate Communication
for active and retired
Georgia Power employees.
Address internal
correspondence to:
The Citizen
Bin 10220
241 Ralph McGill Blvd.
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
E-mail
[email protected]
Retirees
Please report address
changes to the Southern
Company Employee-Retiree
Service Center by calling
1-888-435-7563.
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