Segment and Related Information

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment and Related Information

SEGMENT AND RELATED INFORMATION

Southern Company

The primary businesses of the Southern Company system are electricity sales by the traditional electric operating companies and Southern Power and the distribution of natural gas by Southern Company Gas. The traditional electric operating companies are vertically integrated utilities providing electric service in three Southeastern states. Southern Power develops, constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy and battery energy storage projects, and sells electricity at market-based rates in the wholesale market. Southern Company Gas distributes natural gas through its natural gas distribution utilities and is involved in several other complementary businesses including gas pipeline investments and gas marketing services.

Southern Company's reportable business segments are the sale of electricity by the traditional electric operating companies, the sale of electricity in the competitive wholesale market by Southern Power, and the sale of natural gas and other complementary products and services by Southern Company Gas. Revenues from sales by Southern Power to the traditional electric operating companies were $102 million and $280 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively and $156 million and $406 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively. Revenues from sales of natural gas from Southern Company Gas to the traditional electric operating companies and Southern Power were immaterial for all periods presented. The "All Other" column includes the Southern Company parent entity, which does not allocate operating expenses to business segments. Also, this category includes segments below the quantitative threshold for separate disclosure. These segments include providing distributed energy and resilience solutions and deploying microgrids for commercial, industrial, governmental, and utility customers, as well as investments in telecommunications. All other inter-segment revenues are not material.

Financial data for business segments and products and services for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 was as follows:

	Electric Utilities
	Traditional Electric Operating Companies		Southern Power		Eliminations		Total		Southern Company Gas		All Other		Eliminations		Consolidated
	(in millions)
Three Months Ended September 30, 2024
Operating revenues	$	5,927	$	600	$	(105)	$	6,422	$	682	$	215	$	(45)	$	7,274
Segment net income (loss)(a)(b)	1,618		82		—		1,700		38		(201)		(2)		1,535
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024
Operating revenues	$	15,389	$	1,597	$	(293)	$	16,693	$	3,220	$	598	$	(128)	$	20,383
Segment net income (loss)(a)(b)(c)	3,630		264		—		3,894		555		(569)		(13)		3,867
At September 30, 2024
Goodwill	$	—	$	2	$	—	$	2	$	5,015	$	144	$	—	$	5,161
Total assets	104,565		12,646		(547)		116,664		25,545		2,347		(600)		143,956
Three Months Ended September 30, 2023
Operating revenues	$	5,674	$	653	$	(160)	$	6,167	$	689	$	154	$	(30)	$	6,980
Segment net income (loss)(a)(c)(d)	1,419		100		—		1,519		82		(179)		—		1,422
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
Operating revenues	$	14,145	$	1,686	$	(417)	$	15,414	$	3,417	$	499	$	(122)	$	19,208
Segment net income (loss)(a)(c)(d)(e)	2,852		288		—		3,140		475		(490)		(4)		3,121
At December 31, 2023
Goodwill	$	—	$	2	$	—	$	2	$	5,015	$	144	$	—	$	5,161
Total assets	100,429		12,761		(545)		112,645		25,083		2,446		(843)		139,331

(a)Attributable to Southern Company.

(b)For the traditional electric operating companies, includes a pre-tax impairment loss at Alabama Power of $36 million ($27 million after tax) related to Alabama Power discontinuing the development of a multi-use commercial facility. See Note (A) under "Impairment of Long-Lived Assets" for additional information.

(c)For the traditional electric operating companies, includes pre-tax charges (credits) to income at Georgia Power related to the estimated probable loss associated with the construction and completion of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 of $(21) million ($(16) million after tax) for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and $160 million ($120 million after tax) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023. Also includes a pre-tax gain at Georgia Power of approximately $114 million ($84 million after tax) for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 related to the sale of transmission line assets under the integrated transmission system agreement. See Note (B) under "Georgia Power" and Note 2 to the financial statements under "Georgia Power – Nuclear Construction" in Item 8 of the Form 10-K for additional information.

(d)For Southern Power, includes an $18 million pre-tax loss recovery ($9 million after tax and partnership allocations) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 related to an arbitration award and a $16 million pre-tax gain ($12 million after tax) on the sale of spare parts for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. See Note (C) under "General Litigation Matters – Southern Power" for additional information related to the arbitration award.

(e)For Southern Company Gas, includes a pre-tax charge of approximately $38 million ($28 million after tax) associated with the disallowance of certain capital expenditures at Nicor Gas. See Note 2 to the financial statements under "Southern Company Gas" in Item 8 of the Form 10-K for additional information.

Products and Services

	Electric Utilities' Revenues
	Retail		Wholesale		Other		Total
	(in millions)
Three Months Ended September 30, 2024	$	5,366	$	721	$	335	$	6,422
Three Months Ended September 30, 2023	5,139		727		301		6,167
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024	$	13,793	$	1,919	$	981	$	16,693
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023	12,597		1,930		887		15,414

	Southern Company Gas' Revenues
	Gas Distribution Operations		Gas Marketing Services		Other		Total
	(in millions)
Three Months Ended September 30, 2024	$	616	$	53	$	13	$	682
Three Months Ended September 30, 2023	617		56		16		689
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024	$	2,828	$	358	$	34	$	3,220
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023	2,989		376		52		3,417

Southern Company Gas

Southern Company Gas manages its business through three reportable segments – gas distribution operations, gas pipeline investments, and gas marketing services. The non-reportable segments are combined and presented as all other.

Gas distribution operations is the largest component of Southern Company Gas' business and includes natural gas local distribution utilities that construct, manage, and maintain intrastate natural gas pipelines and gas distribution facilities in four states.

Gas pipeline investments consist of joint ventures in natural gas pipeline investments including a 50% interest in SNG and a 50% joint ownership interest in the Dalton Pipeline. These natural gas pipelines enable the provision of diverse sources of natural gas supplies to the customers of Southern Company Gas. See Note 7 to the financial statements under "Southern Company Gas" in Item 8 of the Form 10-K for additional information.

Gas marketing services provides natural gas marketing to end-use customers primarily in Georgia and Illinois through SouthStar.

The "All other" column includes segments and subsidiaries that fall below the quantitative threshold for separate disclosure, including storage and fuels operations. The "All other" column included a natural gas storage facility in California through its sale in September 2023. See Note 15 to the financial statements in Item 8 of the Form 10-K for additional information.

Business segment financial data for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 was as follows:

	Gas Distribution Operations		Gas Pipeline Investments		Gas Marketing Services		Total		All Other		Eliminations		Consolidated
	(in millions)
Three Months Ended September 30, 2024
Operating revenues	$	616	$	8	$	53	$	677	$	6	$	(1)	$	682
Segment net income	21		24		(2)		43		(5)		—		38
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024
Operating revenues	$	2,828	$	24	$	358	$	3,210	$	19	$	(9)	$	3,220
Segment net income	403		77		72		552		3		—		555
Total assets at September 30, 2024	23,543		1,573		1,619		26,735		9,910		(11,100)		25,545
Three Months Ended September 30, 2023
Operating revenues	$	619	$	8	$	56	$	683	$	8	$	(2)	$	689
Segment net income (loss)	70		24		2		96		(14)		—		82
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
Operating revenues	$	3,002	$	24	$	376	$	3,402	$	30	$	(15)	$	3,417
Segment net income(*)	352		73		59		484		(9)		—		475
Total assets at December 31, 2023	22,906		1,534		1,615		26,055		9,675		(10,647)		25,083

(*)For gas distribution operations, includes a pre-tax charge of approximately $38 million ($28 million after tax) associated with the disallowance of certain capital expenditures at Nicor Gas. See Note 2 to the financial statements under "Southern Company Gas" in Item 8 of the Form 10-K for additional information.