2.2.0.25falsefalse0209 - Disclosure - Nuclear Insurancetruefalsefalse1falsefalseUSDfalsefalse1/1/2010 - 12/31/2010 USD ($) USD ($) / shares $Jan-01-2010_Dec-31-2010http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000092122duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-12-31T00:00:00USDStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170PureStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0USDEPSDividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0SharesStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0USDUSD$2true0so_NuclearInsuranceAbstractsofalsenadurationNuclear Insurance.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:stringItemTypestringNuclear Insurance.falsefalseNuclear Insurance [Abstract]3false0so_NuclearInsuranceTextBlocksofalsenadurationDisclosures related to insurance pertaining to nuclear facilities.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseverboselabel1falsefalsefalse00  <div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif"> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 12pt"><b>9. NUCLEAR INSURANCE</b> </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 6pt">Under the Price-Anderson Amendments Act (Act), Alabama Power and Georgia Power maintain agreements of indemnity with the NRC that, together with private insurance, cover third-party liability arising from any nuclear incident occurring at the companies’ nuclear power plants. The Act provides funds up to $12.6 billion for public liability claims that could arise from a single nuclear incident. Each nuclear plant is insured against this liability to a maximum of $375 million by American Nuclear Insurers (ANI), with the remaining coverage provided by a mandatory program of deferred premiums that could be assessed, after a nuclear incident, against all owners of commercial nuclear reactors. A company could be assessed up to $117.5 million per incident for each licensed reactor it operates but not more than an aggregate of $17.5 million per incident to be paid in a calendar year for each reactor. Such maximum assessment, excluding any applicable state premium taxes, for Alabama Power and Georgia Power, based on its ownership and buyback interests, is $235 million and $237 million, respectively, per incident, but not more than an aggregate of $35 million per company to be paid for each incident in any one year. Both the maximum assessment per reactor and the maximum yearly assessment are adjusted for inflation at least every five years. The next scheduled adjustment is due no later than October 29, 2013. </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 6pt">Alabama Power and Georgia Power are members of Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited (NEIL), a mutual insurer established to provide property damage insurance in an amount up to $500 million for members’ operating nuclear generating facilities. Additionally, both companies have policies that currently provide decontamination, excess property insurance, and premature decommissioning coverage up to $2.25 billion for losses in excess of the $500 million primary coverage. This excess insurance is also provided by NEIL. </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 6pt">NEIL also covers the additional costs that would be incurred in obtaining replacement power during a prolonged accidental outage at a member’s nuclear plant. Members can purchase this coverage, subject to a deductible waiting period of up to 26 weeks, with a maximum per occurrence per unit limit of $490 million. After the deductible period, weekly indemnity payments would be received until either the unit is operational or until the limit is exhausted in approximately three years. Alabama Power and Georgia Power each purchase the maximum limit allowed by NEIL, subject to ownership limitations. Each facility has elected a 12-week deductible waiting period. </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 6pt">A builders’ risk property insurance policy has been purchased from NEIL for the construction of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4. This policy provides the Owners up to $2.75 billion in limits for accidental property damage occurring during construction. </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 6pt">Under each of the NEIL policies, members are subject to assessments if losses each year exceed the accumulated funds available to the insurer under that policy. The current maximum annual assessments for Alabama Power and Georgia Power under the NEIL policies would be $42 million and $70 million, respectively. </div>   </div>  <div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif"> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt"> <b> </b> </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 6pt">Claims resulting from terrorist acts are covered under both the ANI and NEIL policies (subject to normal policy limits). The aggregate, however, that NEIL will pay for all claims resulting from terrorist acts in any 12-month period is $3.2 billion plus such additional amounts NEIL can recover through reinsurance, indemnity, or other sources. </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 6pt">For all on-site property damage insurance policies for commercial nuclear power plants, the NRC requires that the proceeds of such policies shall be dedicated first for the sole purpose of placing the reactor in a safe and stable condition after an accident. Any remaining proceeds are to be applied next toward the costs of decontamination and debris removal operations ordered by the NRC, and any further remaining proceeds are to be paid either to the Company or to its debt trustees as may be appropriate under the policies and applicable trust indentures. </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 6pt">All retrospective assessments, whether generated for liability, property, or replacement power, may be subject to applicable state premium taxes. In the event of a loss, the amount of insurance available may not be adequate to cover property damage and other incurred expenses. </div> </div>  <!-- Begin Block Tagged NotefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:textBlockItemTypestringDisclosures related to insurance pertaining to nuclear facilities.No authoritative reference available.falsefalseNUCLEAR INSURANCE12Nuclear InsuranceUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownfalsetrue