TOWN OF NEENAH, Wis. – Southern Energy Inc., a unit of Southern Company, announced today that its 300-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant in Wisconsin has begun commercial operations.

The “peaking” power plant, located in Town of Neenah, Wis., will provide electricity to Wisconsin Electric when demand is high, particularly during hot summer months.

“This is the first of our new plants in the Midwest to begin commercial operation,” said Richard J. Pershing, president of Southern Energy’s Americas Group. “We’re happy to be in this part of Wisconsin, and we hope to use this plant to demonstrate that Southern Energy is a good neighbor to have in the community.”

Southern Energy has an eight-year power supply contract with Wisconsin Electric and may seek to expand the plant. The power plant uses two natural gas-fired combustion turbines, but heat recovery equipment could eventually be added to drive a steam turbine, converting the facility to “combined cycle” technology.

Southern Energy Inc. – with operations in 12 countries on five continents – 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. Its Southern Company Energy Marketing unit provides energy marketing, risk management and financial services and other energy-related commodities, products and services to customers in North America.

Southern Energy’s subsidiaries and affiliates include Freeport Power Co. in the Bahamas; Western Power Distribution in England; Bewag, the electric utility serving Berlin, Germany; EDELNOR, the power producer serving northern Chile; CEMIG, an electric utility in Brazil; the Power Generation Company of Trinidad and Tobago; the Alicura power station in Argentina; the Southern Energy Europe marketing and risk management operation, based in the Netherlands; Southern Energy Asia-Pacific, with operations in the Philippines, China and Australia; and U.S. power stations in Massachusetts, New York, Texas, California, Virginia and Indiana.

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.

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