ANDALUSIA, ALA. — For more than 66 years, Alabama Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AEC) has served as a reliable wholesale power provider for 16 electric cooperatives and four municipal systems. Beginning Jan. 1, the company changed its name to PowerSouth Energy Cooperative to better reflect its service territory and future growth opportunities.

The company’s structure, organization and staff will remain the same.

“We will continue to provide our distribution members with the superior service, reliable energy and affordable rates they deserve and expect,” says Gary Smith, PowerSouth President and CEO. “Our new corporate identity will help lead our organization into the next era and provide better opportunities within our industry.”

PowerSouth’s solid reputation in the electric utility industry and economic and community development arenas reaches far beyond its geographic borders. It was determined that the name “Alabama Electric Cooperative” was geographically limiting and did not best reflect our growth in the Florida panhandle. Additionally, “Alabama Electric Cooperative” was often confused with other utilities and companies with similar names.

The company’s board of trustees chose the name “PowerSouth” because it denotes the strength and integrity of the corporation, as well as the geographic diversity of its membership. “PowerSouth” will help the company gain a broader perspective within the electric utility industry, while positioning the company to become a more regional utility.

“‘PowerSouth’ encompasses the vast possibilities for our company and industry, while positioning us for future growth opportunities,” says Smith. “The name ‘AEC’ served us well as a corporate identity, and we are confident that ‘PowerSouth’ will bring us equal success in the future.”

PowerSouth Energy Cooperative is a $1.3 billion generation and transmission cooperative that serves the wholesale energy needs of 16 electric cooperatives and four municipal electric systems in Alabama and northwest Florida. PowerSouth’s service territory spans 39 Alabama counties and 10 Florida counties. Owned and governed by those it serves, PowerSouth is dedicated to providing reliable and economical energy to meet the needs of nearly 800,000 consumers. Continuing a 66-year tradition of reliability and service to its members, PowerSouth remains a trusted energy provider for those it serves.