PSC to decide fate of Alabama Power’s irritating solar fee
The fate of Alabama Power’s extra fees to customers with rooftop solar panels now rests with the Alabama Public Service Commission, although it was unclear Thursday when a decision would come or whether there will be a public hearing on the matter. Alabama Power, which provides electrical service to about two-thirds of the state, says the extra fees are needed to offset costs the company says are associated with providing backup power to customers with rooftop panels. – AL Political Reporter
ALDOT: State spent almost $60 million on I-10 bridge project
When Gov. Kay Ivey pulled the plug on plans for a new Interstate 10 bridge and Bayway, she walked away from a project that already has cost state taxpayers almost $60 million, according to state officials. Ivey concluded Wednesday that there was no way to salvage the plan after opposition to tolls prompted the Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization to remove the project from its Transportation Improvement Plan. That made the project ineligible for federal funds. – Fox10TV
Brasfield & Gorrie on track with Nashville luxury hotel project
Birmingham’s Brasfield & Gorrie is zeroing in toward completion next fall of a Nashville luxury hotel project. More than 600 construction workers participated in a recent topping out ceremony on The Joseph Nashville, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Nashville’s SoBro neighborhood. Developer the Pizzuti Companies and general contractor Brasfield & Gorrie took part in the event. – AL.com
Austal USA a ‘powerhouse’ for parent company, profit up 64
Global shipbuilder Austal has entered the new fiscal year with a $4.9 billion order book, up from $3 billion last year, with 58 vessels under construction or scheduled. Austal chief executive David Singleton called it the aluminum shipbuilder’s best year ever, with full-year profit up 64 per cent to a record $61.4 million. Revenue for the 12 months to June 30 jumped 33 per cent to $1.852 billion, with four-fifths coming from the US. Singleton said Austal USA was the “powerhouse of the business.” – Australian AP
Birmingham’s TurnerBatson amps up design for library
Pinson’s Johnson Elementary School has a refurbished media center, with special touches throughout for an enhanced learning experience. TurnerBatson designed the new space, which occupies 2,700 square feet in the school off Kermit Johnson Road. Anderson Belcher Construction, Inc. spent three months on the renovation. The idea was to offer diverse learning spaces, dynamic patterns and vibrant colors. – AL.com
Corporate reaction to Mayor Woodfin’s college tuition plan
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin hopes to get the backing of the corporate community for the Birmingham Promise College Tuition Assistance program. “This is something that has an opportunity to be a game changer,” Waymond Jackson with the Birmingham Business Alliance Public Policy said. Jackson and BBA has been in discussion with Mayor Woodfin ever since he came into office about the plan to help Birmingham school students go to college. – WBRC
