Joseph “Buzz” Miller has been named vice president for government relations and the head of Southern Company’s Washington office. Southern Company is one of America’s largest and best-known electric utilities. Miller will be responsible for the direction and implementation of all federal policy initiatives for Southern Company and its subsidiaries.

For the past year, Miller has served as assistant to Southern Company Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Dahlberg. Miller returns to Washington where he represented Southern Company from 1993 to 1998. During his previous tenure in Washington, he also served one year at the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) as acting vice president of legislative affairs.

“Buzz’s Washington experience, combined with his extensive time in company operations, make him well qualified to chart a new course for our federal affairs effort,” said Dahlberg. “Buzz will provide us with the leadership to find, create and implement the best solutions to America’s energy and environmental issues.”

Miller, 37, is a 1983 graduate of Auburn University, where he received a bachelor’s of science degree in chemical engineering. Following graduation, he was based in Houston, Texas working in the oil and gas services and utilities services sectors. In 1986, Miller joined Alabama Power, a Southern Company subsidiary, working in the nuclear generation department. He proceeded through a series of assignments at Southern Nuclear prior to his assignment to Washington in 1993.

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is an international energy company with $36 billion in assets through regional utilities and operations around the world. It is the largest producer of electricity in the United States and one of the world’s leading independent power producers. Based in Atlanta, Southern Company is the parent firm of Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power and Savannah Electric. Through its Southern Energy Inc. subsidiary, Southern Company supplies electricity in 10 countries on four continents and has a growing presence in North America with assets in the Northeast, the Midwest, California and Texas. Southern Company also provides energy-related marketing, trading and technical services and offers Southern LINC wireless telecommunications.