Southern Company Restructures Executive Leadership to Manage Power Grid Growth
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Key Takeaways
- Kim Greene will transition from CEO of Georgia Power to President of Southern Company Operations on January 1, 2027.
- Stan Connally, current Southern Company COO, will become the chairman, president, and CEO of Georgia Power.
- The reorganization integrates nuclear operations with the company's broader generation fleet.
- Chief Legal Officer Sterling Spainhour will expand his role to oversee the Technology Organization and AI strategy.
- The changes are intended to manage increased infrastructure investment and rising energy demand across the Southern Company system.
Southern Company Chairman, President, and CEO Chris Womack announced the restructuring on October 30, 2026, with the changes scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027. The reorganization involves moving the current leadership of Georgia Power to a system-wide operational role and shifting the corporate chief operating officer to lead the Georgia utility.
Kim Greene, who currently serves as chairman, president, and CEO of Atlanta-based Georgia Power, will transition to the role of president of Southern Company Operations. In this capacity, Greene will oversee the company's entire generation fleet, including nuclear assets. Her responsibilities will expand to include system planning, transmission operations, research and development, and environmental affairs. The company stated that bringing nuclear operations under the same organizational umbrella as other generation assets is intended to create a more integrated approach to planning and investment.
Stan Connally, currently the executive vice president and chief operating officer for Southern Company, will succeed Greene as chairman, president, and CEO of Georgia Power. Connally will be responsible for the subsidiary's service to more than 2.8 million customers across 155 counties in Georgia. His mandate includes maintaining grid reliability and rate stability while managing the infrastructure required to meet the state's economic growth.
Additional leadership expansions include Sterling Spainhour, executive vice president and chief legal officer, who will now also lead the Technology Organization. This move is designed to align the company's legal and governance frameworks with its artificial intelligence and emerging technology strategies. Sloane Drake, executive vice president and chief human resources officer, will take on responsibility for system-wide training to coordinate workforce development with changing technological requirements.
