ATLANTA, March 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- After 32 years of service to Southern Company, Joseph "Buzz" Miller, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Power, has announced his retirement, effective April 1.

Mark Lantrip, Southern Company Services chairman, president and CEO, will serve as interim chairman, president and CEO of Southern Power until a permanent replacement is chosen.

Miller began his Southern Company career with Alabama Power in 1986. After a series of roles of increasing responsibility, he was assigned to Washington, D.C. in 1993 as federal affairs manager. In 1998, he served as assistant to Southern Company chairman, president and CEO, Bill Dahlberg. In 1999, Miller returned to Washington as vice president of governmental relations. In 2006, Miller was asked to lead the development of Plant Vogtle units 3 and 4, the first new nuclear units to be built in the United States in over 30 years.

Miller assumed his role at Southern Power in February 2016. Since that time, he has guided the company's growth in natural gas, wind and solar wholesale generation.

"On behalf of Southern Company, I want to thank Buzz for his leadership during his career across a number of our business units," Southern Company chairman, president and CEO Tom Fanning said. "His efforts were essential during the early stages of the Vogtle units 3 and 4 nuclear construction project, the first of its kind in the U.S. in over 30 years. We wish Buzz all the best in his future endeavors."

A 1983 graduate of Auburn University, Miller is a 2015 inductee into the state of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame, and a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reactor technology course for utility executives. He also serves as a member of the Engineering Alumni Council at Auburn University.

About Southern Company

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is America's premier energy company, with 46,000 megawatts of generating capacity and 1,500 billion cubic feet of combined natural gas consumption and throughput volume serving 9 million customers through its subsidiaries. The company provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy through electric operating companies in four states, natural gas distribution companies in seven states, a competitive generation company serving wholesale customers across America and a nationally recognized provider of customized energy solutions, 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 carbon-free nuclear, 21st 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, recognized among the Top 50 Companies for Diversity by DiversityInc, listed by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity and designated a Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic Network. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.

SOURCE Southern Company