Southern Company CEO David Ratcliffe to Address Need for Skilled Labor to Help Meet Growing Energy Demand

ATLANTA, Aug. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO David Ratcliffe will address the Southern States Energy Board (SSEB) on Monday, Aug. 27, in Biloxi, Miss., where he will outline Southern Company's efforts to help ensure the necessary skilled labor is in place to meet existing and future energy demand in the growing Southeast.

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The SSEB event, held as part of the 73rd annual meeting of the Southern Governors' Association (SGA), will convene at 10 a.m. CDT and will include a panel discussion featuring chief executives from various industrial sectors.

With the challenges of meeting growing demand, Southern Company will need a significant skilled work force to help with initiatives such as the continued rebuilding of the Gulf Coast, building new generation and infrastructure and the installation of environmental control technologies to meet federal clean air compliance requirements. To prepare for the future, Southern Company is partnering with colleges to recruit and train new employees as well as develop knowledge-transfer programs in anticipation of coming retirements.

With 4.3 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company is the premier energy company serving the Southeast, one of America's fastest-growing regions. 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 significantly below the national average. Southern Company has been listed the top ranking U.S. electric service provider in customer satisfaction for seven consecutive years by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Visit our Web site at http://www.southerncompany.com/.