ATLANTA – Southern Company has been named to the 2012 Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for Military list by CivilianJobs.com.

Southern Company is one of two electric utilities on the list, and joins other top employers of military service members and veterans such as General Electric Co., CSX Corporation, Norfolk Southern, Amazon.com Inc., Verizon Communications Inc., Fluor Corporation and Southwest Airlines Co. This is the third consecutive year Southern Company has made the list.

“Veterans, guardsmen and reservists are a natural fit for Southern Company because the cultures of the military and the utility industry are very similar,” said Susan Story, executive vice president for Southern Company and president and CEO of Southern Company Services.  “At present, some 11 percent of our 26,000 employees – and 14 percent of new hires -- are veterans or reservists. These employees bring a commitment, discipline and dedication that add incredible value.”

Companies making the annual list were selected based on their initiatives aimed at recruiting, training and retention that best serve military service members and veterans.

As part of its commitment to veterans, Southern Company participates in the "Troops to Energy Jobs" program as another recruiting source that establishes a process linking veterans to job openings in the energy industry.

The company’s ongoing history of supporting military personnel has earned it several recognitions, including the 2010 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, which is the highest honor given by the Department of Defense to employers for support of employees who serve in the National Guard or Reserve; the Pro Patria Award for leadership in providing benefits to military employees; a “bronze” ranking on the national Military Times magazine’s Best for Vets top 50 employer list in 2011; and in 2011 ranking the highest among electric utilities and second overall among all industries on G.I. Jobs magazine’s ninth annual list of the nation’s top 100 military-friendly employers.

The CivilianJobs.com MVE serves to help job seekers with military experience identify the top employers to target for civilian careers. CivilianJobs.com provides job fairs, staffing services, a job board and employer advertising in its military base newspaper Civilian Job News.

With 4.4 million customers and more than 43,000 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 also is continually ranked among the top utilities in Fortune’s annual World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.