Gulfport, Miss. - Mississippi Power is joining utilities across the country on National Lineman's Appreciation Day and saying "Thank you" to the employees who build, maintain and restore the lines that deliver electricity to our customers.

"Our linemen are the best representatives of what it means to be a Mississippi Power employee," Jeff Franklin, vice president of Customer Services Organization said. "They are truly committed to taking care of our customers, whether it's the middle of the night or they're facing extreme weather conditions. We should all be thankful for their service to our customers and Mississippi Power."

Mississippi Power employs approximately 140 line workers to construct, operate and maintain the equipment that delivers electricity to our 186,000 customers across 23 southeast Mississippi counties.

While working around electricity is inherently dangerous, weather conditions during the winter of 2014 complicated matters even more. Mississippi Power linemen once again met our customers' needs and safely restored service when outages occurred.

"Our crews were truly tested in extreme conditions during January and February," Franklin said. "We got to see firsthand how talented and skilled these linemen are. I encourage every employee to thank a lineman if they see one today."

Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy for more than 186,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Recognized throughout the utility industry for excellence in storm restoration and recovery efforts, Mississippi Power is the 2013 winner of the Edison Electric Institute's Emergency Assistance Award.www.mississippipower.com, follow us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook.

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For further information: Jeff Shepard 228.865.5543 or 228.861.5543 (24/7 media line) jshepard@southernco.com

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