Tom Fanning is Chairman and CEO of Atlanta-based Southern Company, which has $18 billion in annual revenues and is the second largest utility in the US, with 9 million gas and electric customers in 9 states. Fanning has been Chairman and CEO since December of 2010.

Tom has been very active in industry leadership. He is serving as EEI Chairman this year and is Chairman of the Electricity Sub-Sector Coordinating Council, the principal liaison between the electric sector and the federal government for coordinating efforts against cyber threats and physical terrorism. Moreover, Southern Company, under Tom’s leadership, is taking positions across a curiously wide spectrum of the nation’s energy value chain.

I joined Tom Fanning in his office in Atlanta for this conversation on August 10th 2016. Part 1 of our discussion reveals his rationale for Southern’s investment activities and his vision and leadership in actuating it. Southern Company has been building and buying in key areas including nuclear, renewables, natural gas, clean coal, and energy efficiency. If Southern’s sweeping strategic activity raises questions in the observance, Tom’s answers both illuminate Southern’s vision and illustrate the characteristics of his leadership.

We sorted through what Tom calls his “All of the Above” approach by addressing Southern’s areas of investment one by one.

Part 2 focuses on Tom Fanning’s leadership activities outside of, but certainly related to, Southern Company. He is serving as EEI Chairman this year and is Chairman of the Electricity Sub-Sector Coordinating Council, the principal liaison between the electric sector and the federal government for coordinating efforts against cyber threats and physical terrorism. Our conversation explores his vision as Chairman of EEI this year, and his leadership in cyber and physical security and his call to action for the other “lifeline” or critical sectors like financial services and telecom.