LEW HANES: We discussed weather effects on planning earlier.  Please tell me more about weather effects.

BILL MELTON: We can begin by discussing showers.  The impact is according to where the shower hits.  We have load centers in Atlanta, Birmingham, Montgomery, and Macon.  We watch the radar to see where the rain is moving.  For example, if it is across south Alabama or south Georgia, then it's raining on cotton fields and peanut farms and not having much impact on electricity usage.  But if it rains across Birmingham, Atlanta, Macon, or Montgomery, it is hitting a load center.  It will make a big difference in cooling the temperature down, and the air conditioners will go off.   You have to watch your radar because your load projection would be wrong if the impact of that storm was not considered.  You might purchase power when you really didn't need to.  The rain would have taken care of that load for you.