Southern Company executive vice president of external affairs Dwight Evans has been named to a newly created federal advisory board charged with resolving environmental, natural resources and public land disputes.

Evans will serve on the board of the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution of the Morris K. Udall Foundation. The Institute is a federal program established by Congress with the task of assisting parties in disputes through a collaborative, non-adversarial process of negotiation and consensus building.

“This is not only a great opportunity personally but also an opportunity for Southern Company to represent our industry in efforts that seek to resolve issues of vital importance to public and private interests alike across our nation,” said Evans.

Through the collaborative approach, the U.S. Institute also assists in implementing a key section of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The section focuses on maintaining environmental quality as well as fulfilling social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans.

The advisory board will provide guidance to the U.S. Institute in general as well as consider how to enhance opportunities for collaboration and seek alternatives for resolving disputes within the context of the NEPA. Board membership includes a broad representation of federal, state, tribal and local government as well as national environmental organizations, resource users, corporate interests, NEPA experts and environmental conflict resolution practitioners.

The U.S. Institute was created in 1998 through NEPA and operates under the Udall Foundation. The Institute is based in Tucson, Arizona, receiving federal, public and private funding. It offers expertise, guidance and training in environmental conflict assessment, facilitation and mediation. The Institute maintains a network of programs and practitioners around the country.

The Udall Foundation was established by Congress in 1992 in honor of Morris K. Udall’s 30 years of service in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Foundation focuses on educating Americans on the need to preserve and protect the country’s national heritage through studies in the environment, Native American health and public policy and effective public policy conflict resolution.

With 4 million customers and nearly 37,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier super-regional energy company in the Southeast and a leading U.S. producer of electricity. Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states, a fast-growing competitive generation company, an energy services business and a competitive retail natural gas business, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are 15 percent below the national average. Southern Company has been named No. 1 on Fortune magazine’s 2002 “America’s Most Admired Companies” list in the Electric and Gas Utility industry. Southern Company has more than 500,000 shareholders, making its common stock one of the most widely held in the United States. Visit the Southern Company Web site at www.southerncompany.com.