Southern Energy Inc., a unit of Southern Company, has named Douglas L. Miller to the newly created position of senior vice president and general counsel and J. Michael Childers to the new position of vice president for environmental affairs.

“Southern Energy’s expansion into new political and legal jurisdictions across the United States and around the world makes the position of general counsel increasingly important to our future success,” Southern Energy President and CEO Marce Fuller said in announcing the assignments.

As general counsel, Miller will direct Southern Energy’s outside legal counsel and oversee the company’s programs to comply with the laws and regulations of the states and countries where the company conducts business. He also will be a member of Southern Energy’s senior management team and Southern Company’s office of general counsel.

“The appointment of Doug Miller as general counsel, with his proven expertise in complex domestic and international transactions, reflects Southern Energy’s status as a leading international energy company and its growing importance to Southern Company’s overall business strategy,” said Stephen A. Wakefield, senior vice president and general counsel for Southern Company.

Miller, 48, currently is managing partner for the Hong Kong office of the Atlanta law firm of Troutman Sanders LLP, the firm that serves as primary outside legal counsel for Southern Company. His law practice has specialized in electric utility and independent power regulation, the development of independent power projects and the privatization of government-owned utilities around the world. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Yale University and a law degree from Harvard University.

“Also important to our success is the environmental performance of our power plants and other assets,” Fuller said. “Southern Energy’s policy is to meet or surpass all environmental laws and requirements wherever we do business. The vice president for environmental affairs will help ensure that our responsibility to the environment is always a major factor in everything we do.”

Childers, 35, also is currently a partner at Troutman Sanders, specializing in environmental management systems, litigation, regulation and due diligence, and international environmental law. As vice president for environmental affairs, Childers will direct Southern Energy’s environmental affairs and relationships at the national, state and local levels in all the countries where the company operates. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Auburn University and a law degree from the University of Georgia.

Southern Energy Inc. 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 energy in 10 countries on four continents. Its Southern Company Energy Marketing unit 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.