BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Dec. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Nuclear Chairman, President and CEO Stephen Kuczynski announced today that Mark Rauckhorst has been elected vice president of Plant Vogtle 3 and 4 Construction. Rauckhorst will be the lead executive at the Vogtle 3 and 4 site in Georgia who will have principal interface with the Shaw and Westinghouse Site Directors.

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"Mark's extensive expertise in energy industry construction is critical as we move closer to the construction of new units at Plant Vogtle," said Kuczynski. "Mark is known for his keen knowledge and experience in working with energy utilities on both major construction and engineering projects. He will be a great asset to the leadership team as we construct the first new units in United States in more than 30 years."

Rauckhorst brings more than 30 years of experience working for engineering, construction management and utility organizations on large-scale capital construction projects. He comes to Southern Nuclear from PricewaterhouseCooper's Capital Projects Advisory Practice where he served as managing director. Rauckhorst has held various utility leadership roles in engineering, program management and energy industry construction.

Rauckhorst holds a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Business Administration degree from Northern Illinois University. He is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio.

About Southern Nuclear:

Southern Nuclear, a subsidiary of Southern Company, operates the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant near Baxley, Ga., the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant near Dothan, Ala. and the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant near Waynesboro, Ga.

About Southern Company:

With 4.4 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, 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 below the national average. Southern Company was named the World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility by Fortune magazine in 2011, and is consistently listed among the top U.S. electric service providers in customer satisfaction by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.  

SOURCE Southern Company