Southern Company has named three senior executives to join the senior management team of Consolidated Electric Power Asia: Frederick D. “Rick” Kuester, director-commercial; Edwin H. Adams, director-finance; and Dean Koch, director-operations.

The appointments become effective when Southern Company completes its acquisition of 80 percent of CEPA Jan. 29. Kuester, Adams and Koch will report to Chief Executive Officer Stewart Elliott, who will remain in his current position at CEPA. CEPA is the independent power affiliate of Hopewell Holdings Ltd. of Hong Kong. Hopewell will own 20 percent of CEPA upon completion of the transaction. Both Hopewell and CEPA are traded on the stock exchange of Hong Kong.

Kuester currently serves as vice president for power generation and delivery at Southern Company’s Mississippi Power subsidiary. He also has served as vice president of investor relations, assistant to the executive vice president, and in a number of management positions. He joined Southern Company in 1971. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Samford University and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Auburn University.

Adams, who will direct CEPA’s financial activities, currently serves as director of corporate finance for Southern Energy Inc., the Southern Company subsidiary overseeing the acquisition. Adams also has served as project finance manager at Southern Company Services, another Southern Company subsidiary. Before joining Southern Company in 1993, Adams was an assistant vice president at First Financial Management Corp. and an associate at Chase Manhattan Bank. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Duke University and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Georgia.

Koch currently serves as general manager of Mobile Energy Services Co., a Southern Energy affiliate that operates power production facilities for a paper manufacturing complex in Mobile, Ala. Koch has served in a number of engineering and management positions at Southern Company, including director of new generation projects at Southern Company’s Georgia Power subsidiary, manager of capital fossil and hydro projects, and as manager of several power plants. Koch joined Southern Company in 1966. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Auburn University.

“Rick Kuester, Ed Adams and Dean Koch will bring a vast variety of technical, operational and financial skills — as well as management strength — to complement the world-class expertise in project development and construction that has made CEPA the No. 1 independent power producer in Asia,” Southern Energy President Tom Boren said.

With the acquisition, Southern Energy’s project development efforts in China and Indonesia will become part of CEPA. CEPA owns and operates power plants in China and the Philippines, with projects under development in Indonesia and a number of other Asian countries.

Southern Energy develops, builds, owns and operates power production and delivery facilities and provides a broad range of technical services to utilities and industrial companies in the U.S. and international markets.

Southern Company (NYSE:SO), the largest producer of electricity in the United States, is the parent firm of five electric utilities: Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power and Savannah Electric. Through Southern Energy, the company operates electric power facilities in England, Argentina, Chile, the Bahamas, and Trinidad and Tobago. Southern Company’s common stock is one of the 20 most widely held corporate stocks in America.