"Alabama Power has guaranteed that residents’ power bills won’t increase as a result. Can the state’s largest utility keep its promise?"

"WESTOVER, Ala.—Shannon Vanden Heuvel said she doesn’t believe a word they say. 

A marketing designer and proud mom, she’s seen the seemingly endless television advertisements from Alabama Power, the state’s largest electric utility, an effective monopoly in much of the state. 

The ads say that Alabama Power has made a commitment to customers like her.

As data center developers eye Alabama in droves, the state’s largest electricity provider has made that claim clear: Don’t worry about your power bills. They won’t go up because of data centers. "

Lee Hedgepeth reports for Inside Climate News August 19, 2026. Fourth in a series.

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