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Common Stock and Stock Compensation - Stock Options, Assumptions Used (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Assumptions used in the pricing model and the weighted average grant-date fair value of stock options granted      
Expected volatility 14.60%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRate 16.60%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRate 17.70%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRate
Expected term (in years) 5 years 5 years 5 years
Interest rate 1.50%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRate 0.90%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRate 0.90%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRate
Dividend yield, percentage 4.90%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedDividendRate 4.40%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedDividendRate 4.20%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedDividendRate
Weighted average grant-date fair value (in dollars per share) $ 2.20us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue $ 2.93us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue $ 3.39us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
Performance Share Plan [Member]      
Assumptions used in the pricing model and the weighted average grant-date fair value of stock options granted      
Expected volatility 12.60%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRate
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= so_PerformanceSharePlanMember
12.00%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRate
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= so_PerformanceSharePlanMember
16.00%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRate
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= so_PerformanceSharePlanMember
Expected term (in years) 3 years 3 years 3 years
Interest rate 0.60%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRate
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= so_PerformanceSharePlanMember
0.40%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRate
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= so_PerformanceSharePlanMember
0.40%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRate
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= so_PerformanceSharePlanMember
Dividend yield $ 2.03so_DividendYield
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= so_PerformanceSharePlanMember
$ 1.96so_DividendYield
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= so_PerformanceSharePlanMember
$ 1.89so_DividendYield
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= so_PerformanceSharePlanMember
Weighted average grant-date fair value (in dollars per share) $ 37.54us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= so_PerformanceSharePlanMember
$ 40.50us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= so_PerformanceSharePlanMember
$ 41.99us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= so_PerformanceSharePlanMember