People

New Positions:

AEP named John D. Harper vice president of general services. Harper has been with AEP since 2000, most recently as vice president of corporate technology development.

Paul M. Barbas joined the senior management at Chesapeake Service Co., taking on the role of president. He also becomes vice president of Chesapeake Utilities Corp. Barbas previously was executive vice president of Allegheny Power.

Southern Union Co. appointed David W. Stevens president and COO of its Panhandle Energy subsidiary. Prior to his appointment, Stevens was executive vice president of utility operations for Southern Union and president and COO of Energy Worx Inc.

The U.S. Department of Energy named John Kotek the new deputy manager for its Idaho Operations Office. Kotek has been a senior manager with the Argonne National Laboratory since 1999.

Puget Sound Energy named Phil Bussey, president of the Washington Roundtable, a public policy group, as its vice president of regional and public affairs.

ROME Corp. appointed former Reliant Resources Chief Risk Officer Eddie R. Meche vice president of strategy.