Jeff Sterba Elected EEI Chairman; David Ratcliffe and Tony Earley to Serve as Vice-Chairmen

Washington, DC () - Jeffry E. Sterba, chairman, president and CEO of Albuquerque-based PNM Resources, has been elected chairman of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the national association of shareholder-owned electric companies, international affiliates and industry associates worldwide.  The announcement was made during EEI's annual meeting.  The Institute's chairmanship rotates on an annual basis.

"There's never a dull moment in the electricity industry, and the period we're in right now certainly is no exception," Sterba said.  "Even as federal agencies are developing regulations to implement the 2005 Energy Policy Act, key elements of that landmark statute are under attack in the U.S. Congress, particularly crucial provisions relating to our ability to site transmission facilities and bolster electric reliability.  At the same time, we face a host of other challenges, including climate change and energy efficiency.  This is going to be a roll-up-your-sleeves and get-down-to-business year."

Sterba will be supported by David M. Ratcliffe, chairman, president and CEO of Atlanta-based Southern Company, who was elected first vice-chairman, and Anthony F. Earley Jr., chairman and CEO of Detroit's DTE Energy, who was elected second vice-chairman.

Sterba has been with PNM Resources, the parent company of PNM, Texas-New Mexico Power, First Choice Power and Avistar, for nearly three decades.  Originally employed by PNM in 1977, he held a variety of positions until he left the company in 1998 to become executive vice president of USEC, a global energy company headquartered in Maryland. He returned to PNM as CEO in 2000.

In addition to serving as EEI's chairman, Sterba chairs the Electric Power Research Institute and sits on the boards of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Wells Fargo of New Mexico. Sterba is involved in numerous civic, cultural and philanthropic endeavors in New Mexico.  He graduated summa cum laude from Washington University and has completed post-graduate work in economics.

David Ratcliffe became president of Southern Company in April 2004 and assumed the additional responsibilities of chairman and CEO in July of that year.  Prior to this, he served for five years as CEO of Georgia Power, where he was responsible for the overall operation of Southern Company's largest subsidiary, with more than 2 million customers spread throughout 153 counties.  Ratcliffe has held numerous other positions within the Southern Company system, including executive vice president, treasurer and chief financial officer at Georgia Power; senior vice president of external affairs for Southern Company; and president and CEO of Mississippi Power.  He first joined Southern Company in 1971 as a biologist for Georgia Power.

A native of Tifton, Ga., Ratcliffe received a bachelor's degree in biology from Valdosta State University in 1970. He received a law degree from Woodrow Wilson College of Law in 1975 and is a member of the Georgia Bar Association.  He sits on numerous boards, including those of EEI, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, CSX Transportation, the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, and the Woodruff Arts Center.

Tony Earley has been chairman and CEO of DTE Energy, the parent company of Detroit Edison, Michigan Consolidated Gas Company, and several non-regulated energy companies, since 1998.  Earley joined Detroit Edison as president and chief operating officer in March 1994 and participated actively in efforts to restructure Michigan's electric utility industry.  Prior to that, Earley held several positions with Long Island Lighting Co. (LILCO), including president and COO, and was a partner in the Washington law firm of Hunton & Williams, where he assisted in the licensing of generating plants and represented nuclear utilities in regulatory proceedings before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Earley attended the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in physics, a master of science in engineering and a law degree. He also served as an officer in the United States Navy nuclear submarine program and recently completed a term as chairman of the Nuclear Energy Institute.  He is a board member of Comerica Inc., MASCO Corporation and numerous educational and civic organizations.

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The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) is the association of U.S. shareholder-owned electric companies. Our members serve 95 percent of the ultimate customers in the shareholder-owned segment of the industry, and represent approximately 70 percent of the U.S. electric power industry. We also have more than 65 International electric companies as Affiliate members, and more than 170 industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate members.