Muller named Mirant CEO

Mirant Corp. has  announced the appointment of Edward R. Muller as its chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer. 

Muller was previously elected to these positions by Mirant’s current board of directors.  The appointment was approved by the Bankruptcy Court in Fort Worth, Texas.

"A new Mirant is emerging and I am thrilled to be leading it," said Muller.  "Starting today, I will begin working with our board and management team to chart a course for the company that seeks to take advantage of its assets, operational capabilities, and fortified capital structure and liquidity.

Recently, Mirant also announced the appointment of JR Harris as the new president of  Mirant Philippines, succeeding Edgardo A. Bautista.  

Mirant’s Philippine business unit has over 2,000 megawatts of generating capacity, operating nine power plants.

The court also approved Mirant’s Second Amended Disclosure Statement, authorizing the company to begin soliciting votes from its creditors and shareholders on its plan of reorganization. 

Moreover, the court established Dec. 1 as the date for the company’s confirmation hearing, setting the stage for Mirant to emerge from Chapter 11 protection by year-end.

"Since the conclusion of the valuation proceeding in June, we have been driving towards a year-end exit from Chapter 11," Mirant’s chief restructuring officer and chief financial officer Michele Burns said. 

Burns said: "Obtaining the support of our three official committees was instrumental in moving the process forward.  Winning the Court’s approval of our disclosure statement and getting our proposed timeline formally adopted are important milestones in the process."

Muller was previously president and chief executive officer of independent power producer Edison Mission Energy and former deputy Chairman of Contact Energy Ltd. 

He succeeded A. William Dahlberg as Chairman and Marce Fuller as president and CEO.

To focus on Mirant, Muller has resigned from various boards, including those of Ormat Technologies Inc., (a developer, builder, owner and operator of geothermal power plants) and RigNet Inc. (a communications services provider for oil and gas rigs). 

But he will remain on the board of Global SantaFe Corp. (an off-shore oil and gas driller).

Muller is also a member of the Council of Foreign Relations, past Chairman of the US — Philippines Business Committee and past co-chairman of the International Energy Development Council.