2.4.0.82111100 - Disclosure - Investment In Leveraged Leasestruefalsefalse1false falsefalseD2013Q2YTDhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000092122duration2013-01-01T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:001true 1us-gaap_LeasesAbstractus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse0Leases [Abstract]2false 2us-gaap_LeasesOfLessorDisclosureTextBlockus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00<div style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;"><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:12px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">INVESTMENTS IN LEVERAGED LEASES</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:8px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">See Note 1 to the financial statements of Southern Company under "Leveraged Leases" in Item&#160;8 of the Form 10-K for additional information.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:8px;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">On March 1, 2013, Southern Company completed the restructuring of the nonrecourse debt and the related rental payments associated with its leveraged lease investment in a </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">440</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">-MW generation facility located in Choctaw County, Mississippi. In connection with the restructuring, Southern Company has committed, as owner/lessor, to invest approximately </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">$60 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;"> in capital over the next </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">three</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;"> years to improve the operational performance of the facility and upgrade environmental controls. As part of the restructuring, the interest rate on the nonrecourse debt was significantly reduced, resulting in lower debt payments for Southern Company and lower rental payments for the lessee over the remaining </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">19</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">-year term of the nonrecourse debt and the lease. As a consequence of the restructuring, Southern Company recalculated its net investment in the lease to reflect changes in the future cash flows to Southern Company as owner/lessor. As a result of the recalculation, Southern Company recorded an after-tax charge to income during the first quarter 2013 of approximately </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">$16 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">. This noncash charge reflects a reallocation of previously recognized lease income that will be reflected in income over the remaining term of the lease.</font></div></div>falsefalsefalsenonnum:textBlockItemTypenaThe entire disclosure for lessor entity's leasing arrangements for operating, capital and leveraged leases.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496975&loc=d3e45377-112738 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6452767&loc=d3e37045-112695 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 47 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584217&loc=d3e38847-112698 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496975&loc=d3e45424-112738 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453916&loc=d3e41460-112716 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453916&loc=d3e41457-112716 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496975&loc=d3e45437-112738 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6454179&loc=d3e41551-112718 false0INVESTMENTS IN LEVERAGED LEASESfalseInvestment In Leveraged LeasesUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruefalsefalseSheethttp://southerncompany.com/role/InvestmentInLeveragedLeases12