From Red Alerts to Real-Time Precision: Alabama Power Reinvents Outage Communication
Alabama Power developed more than a process; the utility created a cultural shift. At the center of that shift is the company’s Estimated Time of Restoration (ETR) Monitor Process, which transformed outage communication from a passive system output into an actively managed, real-time customer experience.
The utility began with a small group of ETR Monitors manually reviewing outages, calling crews for updates, and ensuring that customers weren’t left with outdated information. As storm events exposed the need for greater consistency and visibility, Alabama Power expanded the number of trained monitors, introduced ETR Managers for oversight, and published guidelines that clearly defined roles and responsibilities across the organization. What began as a tactical fix quickly evolved into a scalable, technology-enabled model that aligns operations, communications and customer expectations, especially during high-pressure storm events.
This project earned Alabama Power a Gold Award for Excellence in Outage Communication in Chartwell‘s 2026 Best Practices Awards.
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