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Income Taxes
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes INCOME TAXES
See Note 10 to the financial statements in Item 8 of the Form 10-K for additional tax information.
Current and Deferred Income Taxes
Tax Credit and Net Operating Loss Carryforwards
The utilization of each Registrant's estimated tax credit and state net operating loss carryforwards and related valuation allowances could be impacted by numerous factors, including the acquisition of additional renewable projects, the purchase of rights to additional PTCs of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 pursuant to certain joint ownership agreements, potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in taxable income projections, and potential income tax rate changes. See Note (B) and Note 2 to the financial statements in Item 8 of the Form 10-K under "Georgia Power – Nuclear Construction" for additional information on Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4.
Effective Tax Rate
Southern Company's effective tax rate is typically lower than the statutory rate due to employee stock plans' dividend deduction, non-taxable AFUDC equity at the traditional electric operating companies, flowback of excess deferred income taxes at the regulated utilities, and federal income tax benefits from ITCs and PTCs primarily at Southern Power.
Details of significant changes in the effective tax rate for the applicable Registrants are provided herein.
Mississippi Power
Mississippi Power's effective tax rate was 8.4% for the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to 16.2% for the corresponding period in 2020. The effective tax rate decrease was primarily due to an increase in the flowback of excess deferred income taxes beginning in April 2020 as authorized in the Mississippi Power Rate Case Settlement Agreement. See Note 2 to the financial statements under "Mississippi Power – 2019 Base Rate Case" in Item 8 of the Form 10-K for additional information.
Southern Power
Southern Power's effective tax benefit rate was (17.3)% for the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to an effective tax rate of 13.5% for the corresponding period in 2020. The effective tax rate decrease was primarily due to changes in state apportionment methodology resulting from tax legislation enacted by the State of Alabama in February 2021, as well as the tax impact from the sale of Plant Mankato in January 2020. See Note 15 to the financial statements under "Southern Power" in Item 8 of the Form 10-K for additional information.