Southern Energy, a unit of Southern Company, has agreed to purchase an 80-megawatt gas-fired electric plant from Wichita Falls Energy Co. Ltd. of Fort Worth, Texas.

The generating facility, which also supplies steam to Vetrotex CertainTeed Corp., will transfer to Southern Energy Oct. 1, 1999.

“This is a highly competitive generator and will give us a presence in the extremely important Texas energy market,” said Tom Boren, president and chief executive officer of Southern Energy. “Such an asset will enhance our energy trading and marketing operations at Southern Company Energy Marketing, and is part of our strategy to associate assets with those operations.”

Southern Energy subsidiary Southern Company Energy Marketing will market the plant’s electricity and manage its fuel requirements.

The plant consists of three gas turbines and one steam turbine, fueled by natural gas transported across the Lonestar pipeline. The generators use propane as a backup fuel.

Southern Energy Inc., a unit of Southern Company, develops, builds, owns and operates power production and delivery facilities and provides a broad range of services to utilities and industrial companies around the world. Southern Energy supplies electricity in 10 countries on four continents. Its Southern Company Energy Marketing subsidiary, jointly owned with Vastar Resources Inc., provides energy trading, marketing and financial services and other energy-related commodities, products and services to customers in North America.

Southern Company (NYSE: SO), the largest producer of electricity in the United States, is also the parent firm of Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power and Savannah Electric.