Southern Company announces leadership moves

ATLANTA, Feb. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Company today announced several leadership moves involving several of its subsidiaries, effective March 7. Joseph A. "Buzz" Miller, executive vice president of nuclear development for Georgia Power and president of nuclear development for Southern Nuclear, has been elected president and CEO of Southern Power. Miller replaces Oscar C. Harper IV, who will retire after 32 years with the Southern Company system.

"We thank Oscar for his years of service and dedication and his instrumental leadership in developing one of America's largest renewable portfolios with more than 1,800 megawatts of generation in seven states," said Kimberly S. Greene, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Southern Company. "Buzz brings strategic leadership and an ability to influence and execute on complex projects to Southern Power and we welcome him to his new role."

"Since the beginning of the Vogtle project, Buzz has provided exceptional guidance and direction for one of the most important construction projects in the country," said W. Paul Bowers, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. "We remain focused on completing the expansion to the highest standards of safety and quality, with the least possible impact to our customers' rates while ensuring that the units will operate safely and power more than a half million Georgia homes and businesses for 60-plus years." 

Georgia Power and Southern Nuclear are further aligning the Vogtle 3 & 4 organization to best achieve upcoming project milestones while creating a streamlined approach for interacting and communicating with key stakeholders.

Mark D. Rauckhorst has been named executive vice president of construction for the Vogtle 3 & 4 project. Since joining the company as vice president of construction in 2011, Rauckhorst has leveraged more than 30 years of experience working for engineering, construction management and utility organizations on large-scale capital construction projects to move the Vogtle project forward. He will remain located at the expansion site near Waynesboro, Georgia, where he will continue to oversee construction compliance and coordinate with the Southern Nuclear operational readiness team to prepare for an effective transition from construction to operations.

"As we enter into a new era of nuclear energy generation, I believe these changes will further position us to deliver the Nuclear Promise and remain the best, most affordable clean energy solution," said Stephen E. Kuczynski, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Nuclear.

More than 60 percent complete based on contractual milestones, progress continues at the Vogtle site every day. Major milestones completed in 2015 include the placement of the 1,140-ton CA01 module for Unit 3, the placement of the 950-ton lower ring for Unit 4 and more than 26,000 total cubic yards of concrete.

The projected overall peak rate impact of the Vogtle nuclear expansion is significantly less than when the project was originally certified due to financing and other benefits of the project that Georgia Power has proactively pursued, and the fuel savings of nuclear. The project's remaining projected customer rate impact is still approximately 2.5 percent, an average of less than 1 percent per year through the expected completion date of 2020. Once the new units come online, they are expected to put downward pressure on rates and deliver long-term savings for Georgia customers.

To learn more about the Vogtle 3 & 4 project and how Southern Company is preparing to deliver tomorrow's energy today, visit http://www.southerncompany.com/what-doing/energy-innovation/.

About Southern Company

With more than 4.5 million customers and approximately 46,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast through its subsidiaries. A leading U.S. producer of clean, safe, reliable and affordable electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and affordable prices that are below the national average. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, Southern Company and its subsidiaries are inventing America's energy future by developing the full portfolio of energy resources, including nuclear, 21^st century coal, natural gas, renewables and energy efficiency, and creating new products and services for the benefit of customers. Southern Company has been named by the U.S. Department of Defense and G.I. Jobs magazine as a top military employer, listed by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity and designated a 2014 Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic Network. The company earned the 2014 National Award of Nuclear Science and History from the National Atomic Museum Foundation for its leadership and commitment to nuclear development, and is continually ranked among the top utilities in Fortune's annual World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.

About Southern Power

Southern Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, is a leading U.S. wholesale energy provider, meeting the electricity needs of municipalities, electric cooperatives and investor-owned utilities. Southern Power and its subsidiaries own or have rights to 33 facilities in nine states, with more than 10,400 MW of generating capacity operating or under development in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Texas.

About Georgia Power

Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), one of the nation's largest generators of electricity.  Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.4 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, 21st century coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind.  Consistently recognized as a leader in customer service, Georgia Power was recently ranked among the highest in overall business customer satisfaction among large utilities in the South by J.D. Power and Associates. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower) and Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower). 

About Southern Nuclear

Southern Nuclear, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), is one of the nation's leading nuclear energy facility operators. Producing safe, reliable and environmentally friendly nuclear energy, Southern Nuclear operates a total of six units for Alabama Power and Georgia Power at the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant near Dothan, Ala.; the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant near Baxley, Ga., and the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant near Waynesboro, Ga. Southern Nuclear is the licensee of two new nuclear units currently under construction at Plant Vogtle, which will be the first nuclear units constructed in the United States in more than 30 years. Southern Nuclear employs more than 3,500 skilled and dedicated professionals who are committed each day to nuclear and personal safety and the health and safety of the public. The company's headquarters is based in Birmingham, Ala. 

Twitter: @SouthernNuclear; Facebook: facebook.com/southernnuclear; www.southerncompany.com/southernnuclear 

Cautionary Notes Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain information contained in this release is forward-looking information based on current expectations and plans that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements concerning the anticipated schedule for completion of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 and the expected impact on customer rates. Southern Company cautions that there are certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information that has been provided. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is not a guarantee of future performance and is subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Southern Company; accordingly, there can be no assurance that such suggested results will be realized. The following factors, in addition to those discussed in Southern Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, and subsequent securities filings, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations as suggested by such forward-looking information: the impact of recent and future federal and state regulatory changes and also changes in tax and other laws and regulations to which Southern Company and its subsidiaries are subject as well as changes in application of existing laws and regulations; current and future litigation, regulatory investigations, proceedings, or inquiries; available sources and costs of fuels; the ability to control costs and avoid cost overruns during the development and construction of facilities, which include the development and construction of generating facilities with designs that have not been finalized or previously constructed; the ability to construct facilities in accordance with the requirements of permits and licenses, to satisfy any environmental performance standards and the requirements of tax credits and other incentives, and to integrate facilities into the Southern Company system upon completion of construction; state and federal rate regulations and the impact of pending and future rate cases and negotiations, including rate actions relating to fuel and other cost recovery mechanisms; legal proceedings and regulatory approvals and actions related to Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4, including Georgia Public Service Commission approvals and Nuclear Regulatory Commission actions and related legal proceedings involving the commercial parties; advances in technology; and the ability of counterparties of Southern Company and its subsidiaries to make payments as and when due and to perform as required. Southern Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information.

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