A.W. Dahlberg, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Southern Company, has named Bill Guthrie president of the company’s Fossil/Hydro Group. The company restructured to combine the technical resources and expertise in its fossil and hydro power generation divisions into one organization.

Guthrie has been vice president and chief production officer of Southern Company and executive vice president of Southern Company Services since 1991. As president of the Fossil/Hydro Group, Guthrie will be responsible for wholesale power marketing, plant operations, engineering and power generation, system planning, research and environmental affairs, procurement, and materials and fuel services.

“This change will provide us more efficiencies and greater flexibility as our industry transitions to a more competitive marketplace,” Dahlberg said. “Our customers will see no difference in quality of service, cost of product or reliability from Southern Company or its operating companies in the southeastern United States. The transition will be totally seamless — transparent to the customer.” Ownership and operation of the power plants will not be affected by the change.

Southern Company (NYSE: SO), the largest producer of electricity in the United States, is the parent firm of Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power and Savannah Electric. Based in Atlanta, Southern Company supplies electricity in eight countries on four continents and provides energy-related marketing, trading and technical services and wireless telecommunications. Southern Company’s common stock is one of the 20 most widely held corporate stocks in America.