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PROPERTY, PLANT, AND EQUIPMENT (Tables)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]  
Property, plant and equipment The primary assets in Southern Power's property, plant, and equipment are generating facilities, which generally have estimated useful lives as follows:
Southern Power Generating Facility
Useful life
Natural gas
Up to 45 years
Biomass(*)
Up to 40 years
Solar
Up to 35 years
Wind
Up to 30 years

(*)
See Note 15 under "Southern Power – Sales of Natural Gas and Biomass Plants" for information on Southern Power's sale of its biomass facility on June 13, 2019.
The Registrants' property, plant, and equipment in service consisted of the following at December 31, 2019 and 2018:
At December 31, 2019:
Southern Company
Alabama Power
Georgia Power
Mississippi Power
Southern Power
Southern Company Gas

(in millions)
Electric utilities:


 
 
 
 
 
Generation
$
50,329

$
15,329

$
18,341

$
2,786

$
13,241

$
—

Transmission
12,157

4,719

6,590

808

—

—

Distribution
19,846

7,798

11,024

1,024

—

—

General/other
4,650

2,177

2,182

239

29

—

Electric utilities' plant in service
86,982

30,023

38,137

4,857

13,270

—

Southern Company Gas:


 
 
 
 
 
Natural gas distribution utilities transportation and distribution
13,518

—

—

—

—

13,518

Storage facilities
1,634

—

—

—

—

1,634

Other
1,192

—

—

—

—

1,192

Southern Company Gas plant in service
16,344

—

—

—

—

16,344

Other plant in service
1,788

—

—

—

—

—

Total plant in service
$
105,114

$
30,023

$
38,137

$
4,857

$
13,270

$
16,344

At December 31, 2018:
Southern Company
Alabama Power
Georgia Power
Mississippi Power
Southern Power
Southern Company Gas
 
(in millions)
Electric utilities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Generation
$
52,324

$
16,533

$
19,145

$
2,849

$
13,246

$
—

Transmission
11,344

4,380

6,156

769

—

—

Distribution
18,746

7,389

10,389

968

—

—

General/other
4,446

2,100

1,985

314

25

—

Electric utilities' plant in service
86,860

30,402

37,675

4,900

13,271

—

Southern Company Gas:
 
 
 
 


 
Natural gas distribution utilities transportation and distribution
12,409

—

—

—

—

12,409

Storage facilities
1,640

—

—

—

—

1,640

Other
1,128

—

—

—

—

1,128

Southern Company Gas plant in service
15,177

—

—

—

—

15,177

Other plant in service
1,669

—

—

—

—

—

Total plant in service
$
103,706

$
30,402

$
37,675

$
4,900

$
13,271

$
15,177
Assets acquired under a capital lease
Assets acquired under a finance lease (previously referred to as a capital lease) are included in property, plant, and equipment and are further detailed in the table below for the applicable Registrants at December 31, 2018:
At December 31, 2018:
Southern Company
Georgia
Power
 
(in millions)
Office buildings
$
216

$
61

PPAs(*)
—

144

Computer-related equipment
43

—

Gas pipeline
7

—

Less: Accumulated amortization
(75
)
(84
)
Balance, net of amortization
$
191

$
121

(*)
Represents Georgia Power's affiliate PPAs with Southern Power. See Note 1 under "Affiliate Transactions" for additional information.
Composite straight-line rates Mississippi Power's and Southern Power's power purchases from affiliates through the Southern Company power pool are included in purchased power on their respective statements of income and were as follows:
 
Mississippi
Power
Southern
Power
 
(in millions)
2019
$
3

$
14

2018
15

41

2017
16

27


Transportation costs under these agreements in 2019, 2018, and 2017 were as follows:
 
Alabama
Power
Georgia
Power
Southern
Power
Southern Company Gas
 
(in millions)
2019
$
17

$
99

$
28

$
31

2018
8

101

25

32

2017
9

102

25

32

In November 2018, SNG purchased the natural gas lateral pipeline serving Plant McDonough Units 4 through 6 from Georgia Power at net book value, as approved by the Georgia PSC. In January 2020, SNG paid Georgia Power $142 million, which included $71 million contributed to SNG by Southern Company Gas for its proportionate share. During the interim period, Georgia Power received a discounted shipping rate to reflect the deferred consideration and SNG constructed an extension to the pipeline.
SCS, as agent for the traditional electric operating companies and Southern Power, has agreements with certain subsidiaries of Southern Company Gas to purchase natural gas. Natural gas purchases made under these agreements were immaterial for Alabama Power and Mississippi Power and as follows for Georgia Power and Southern Power in 2019, 2018, and 2017:
 
Georgia
Power
Southern
Power
 
(in millions)
2019
$
4

$
64

2018
21

119

2017
22

119


Costs for these services from SCS in 2019, 2018, and 2017 were as follows:
 
Alabama
Power
Georgia
Power
Mississippi
Power
Southern
Power(*)
Southern Company Gas
 
(in millions)
2019
$
527

$
704

$
118

$
90

$
183

2018
508

653

104

98

194

2017
479

625

140

218

63

(*)
Prior to December 2017, Southern Power had no employees but was billed for employee-related costs from SCS.
The approximate rates for 2019, 2018, and 2017 are as follows:
 
2019
2018
2017
Alabama Power
3.1
%
3.0
%
2.9
%
Georgia Power
2.6
%
2.6
%
2.7
%
Mississippi Power
3.7
%
4.2
%
3.4
%
Southern Company Gas
2.9
%
2.9
%
2.9
%
Ownership and investment in jointly-owned facilities
At December 31, 2019, the Registrants' percentage ownership and investment (exclusive of nuclear fuel) in jointly-owned facilities in commercial operation were as follows:
Facility (Type)
Percent
Ownership
 
Plant in Service
 
Accumulated
Depreciation
 
CWIP
 
 
 
(in millions)
Alabama Power
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Greene County (natural gas) Units 1 and 2
60.0
%
(a) 
$
182

 
$
71

 
$
1

Plant Miller (coal) Units 1 and 2
91.8

(b) 
2,058

 
630

 
65

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Georgia Power
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Plant Hatch (nuclear)
50.1
%
(c) 
$
1,316

 
$
603

 
$
40

Plant Vogtle (nuclear) Units 1 and 2
45.7

(c) 
3,565

 
2,177

 
96

Plant Scherer (coal) Units 1 and 2
8.4

(c) 
266

 
94

 
14

Plant Scherer (coal) Unit 3
75.0

(c) 
1,267

 
492

 
47

Plant Wansley (coal)
53.5

(c) 
1,059

 
367

 
10

Rocky Mountain (pumped storage)
25.4

(d) 
182

 
139

 
—

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mississippi Power
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Greene County (natural gas) Units 1 and 2
40.0
%
(a) 
$
118

 
$
46

 
$
1

Plant Daniel (coal) Units 1 and 2
50.0

(e) 
750

 
214

 
11

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Southern Company Gas
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dalton Pipeline (natural gas pipeline)
50.0
%
(f) 
$
271

 
$
10

 
$
—

(a)
Jointly owned by Alabama Power and Mississippi Power and operated and maintained by Alabama Power.
(b)
Jointly owned with PowerSouth and operated and maintained by Alabama Power.
(c)
Georgia Power owns undivided interests in Plants Hatch, Vogtle Units 1 and 2, Scherer, and Wansley in varying amounts jointly with one or more of the following entities: OPC, MEAG Power, Dalton, Florida Power & Light Company, JEA, and Gulf Power. Georgia Power has been contracted to operate and maintain the plants as agent for the co-owners and is jointly and severally liable for third party claims related to these plants.
(d)
Jointly owned with OPC, which is the operator of the plant.
(e)
Jointly owned by Gulf Power and Mississippi Power. In accordance with the operating agreement, Mississippi Power acts as Gulf Power's agent with respect to the operation and maintenance of these units. See Note 3 under "Other Matters – Mississippi Power" for information regarding a commitment between Mississippi Power and Gulf Power to seek a restructuring of their 50% undivided ownership interests in Plant Daniel.
(f)
Jointly owned with The Williams Companies, Inc., The Dalton Pipeline is a 115-mile natural gas pipeline that serves as an extension of the Transco natural gas pipeline system into northwest Georgia. Southern Company Gas leases its 50% undivided ownership for approximately $26 million annually for an initial term through 2042. The lessee is responsible for maintaining the pipeline during the lease term and for providing service to transportation customers under its FERC-regulated tariff.