1819 News and Birmingham Free Press, the dispute centres on 416 acres owned by Fenn Church near Calera in Shelby County, where the company is seeking to build part of a 74-mile transmission line, according to reports by WVTM 13. The latest development came on November 10, when Shelby County Circuit Judge Jonathan Spann denied Alabama Power’s request for a temporary restraining order that would have required Church and visitors to remain at least 300 feet away from crews clearing trees on the property. A dispute over a sprawling Alabama property has taken another turn after a judge rejected a utility company’s attempt to keep the landowner away from construction crews working on his land. Alabama Power has now taken the matter to the state’s highest court, prolonging a legal battle over a major electricity transmission project. The judge dismissed the case without prejudice, meaning the utility is not permanently barred from pursuing similar legal relief.
On August 4, 2026, a probate court awarded Church $425,435 for the easement and access road rights. Be respectful · TOI community guidelines Alabama Power maintains that it has secured the necessary easement rights and that delays could jeopardise the project’s planned completion in May 2027. The Autaugaville-East Pelham 230-kilovolt transmission line is a 74-mile infrastructure project connecting the Montgomery and Birmingham areas.
The company says it is needed to strengthen electricity supply for approximately three million customers across Alabama. After negotiations failed, Alabama Power pursued eminent domain proceedings to secure the rights required for the project. The compensation covers the utility’s right to use the designated portion of the property, not ownership of the entire land. Church challenged the award, and the separate condemnation case remains pending.