Southern Company 10-Q 2021-09-30

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

☑ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2021

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

(A Delaware Corporation)

30 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard, N.W.

Atlanta, Georgia 30308

(404) 506-5000

(An Alabama Corporation)

600 North 18th Street

Birmingham, Alabama 35203

(205) 257-1000

(A Georgia Corporation)

241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, N.E.

Atlanta, Georgia 30308

(404) 506-6526

(A Mississippi Corporation)

2992 West Beach Boulevard

Gulfport, Mississippi 39501

(228) 864-1211

(A Delaware Corporation)

30 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard, N.W.

Atlanta, Georgia 30308

(404) 506-5000

(A Georgia Corporation)

Ten Peachtree Place, N.E.

Atlanta, Georgia 30309

(404) 584-4000

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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrants (1) have filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrants were required to file such reports), and (2) have been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrants have submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrants were required to submit such files). Yes þ No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No þ (Response applicable to all registrants.)

This combined Form 10-Q is separately filed by The Southern Company, Alabama Power Company, Georgia Power Company, Mississippi Power Company, Southern Power Company, and Southern Company Gas. Information contained herein relating to any individual registrant is filed by such registrant on its own behalf. Each registrant makes no representation as to information relating to the other registrants.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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DEFINITIONS

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DEFINITIONS

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DEFINITIONS

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DEFINITIONS

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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential and expected effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, regulated rates, the strategic goals for the business, customer and sales growth, economic conditions, cost recovery and other rate actions, projected equity ratios, current and proposed environmental regulations and related compliance plans and estimated expenditures, pending or potential litigation matters, access to sources of capital, financing activities, completion dates and costs of construction projects, matters related to the abandonment of the Kemper IGCC, completion of announced acquisitions, filings with state and federal regulatory authorities, and estimated construction plans and expenditures. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "projects," "predicts," "potential," or "continue" or the negative of these terms or other similar terminology. There are various factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements; accordingly, there can be no assurance that such indicated results will be realized. These factors include:

• the impact of recent and future federal and state regulatory changes, including tax, environmental, and other laws and regulations to which Southern Company and its subsidiaries are subject, as well as changes in application of existing laws and regulations;

• the potential effects of the continued COVID-19 pandemic, including, but not limited to, those described in Item 1A "Risk Factors" of the Form 10-K;

• the extent and timing of costs and legal requirements related to CCR;

• current and future litigation or regulatory investigations, proceedings, or inquiries, including litigation and other disputes related to the Kemper County energy facility;

• the effects, extent, and timing of the entry of additional competition in the markets in which Southern Company's subsidiaries operate, including from the development and deployment of alternative energy sources;

• variations in demand for electricity and natural gas;

• available sources and costs of natural gas and other fuels;

• the ability to complete necessary or desirable pipeline expansion or infrastructure projects, limits on pipeline capacity, and operational interruptions to natural gas distribution and transmission activities;

• transmission constraints;

• effects of inflation;

• the ability to control costs and avoid cost and schedule overruns during the development, construction, and operation of facilities or other projects, including Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 (which includes components based on new technology that only within the last few years began initial operation in the global nuclear industry at this scale) and Plant Barry Unit 8, due to current and future challenges which include, but are not limited to, changes in labor costs, availability, and productivity; challenges with management of contractors or vendors; subcontractor performance; adverse weather conditions; shortages, delays, increased costs, or inconsistent quality of equipment, materials, and labor; contractor or supplier delay; delays due to judicial or regulatory action; nonperformance under construction, operating, or other agreements; operational readiness, including specialized operator training and required site safety programs; engineering or design problems or any remediation related thereto; design and other licensing-based compliance matters, including, for nuclear units, inspections and the timely submittal by Southern Nuclear of the ITAAC documentation for each unit and the related investigations, reviews, and approvals by the NRC necessary to support NRC authorization to load fuel; challenges with start-up activities, including major equipment failure, or system integration; and/or operational performance; and challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic;

• the ability to overcome or mitigate the current challenges at Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4, as described in Note (B) to the Condensed Financial Statements under "Georgia Power – Nuclear Construction" in Item 1 herein, that could further impact the cost and schedule for the project;

• legal proceedings and regulatory approvals and actions related to construction projects, such as Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 and Plant Barry Unit 8, including PSC approvals and FERC and NRC actions;

• under certain specified circumstances, a decision by holders of more than 10% of the ownership interests of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 not to proceed with construction and the ability of other Vogtle Owners to tender a portion of their ownership interests to Georgia Power following certain construction cost increases;

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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

(continued)

• in the event Georgia Power becomes obligated to provide funding to MEAG Power with respect to the portion of MEAG Power's ownership interest in Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 involving JEA, any inability of Georgia Power to receive repayment of such funding;

• the ability to construct facilities in accordance with the requirements of permits and licenses (including satisfaction of NRC requirements), to satisfy any environmental performance standards and the requirements of tax credits and other incentives, and to integrate facilities into the Southern Company system upon completion of construction;

• investment performance of the employee and retiree benefit plans and nuclear decommissioning trust funds;

• advances in technology, including the pace and extent of development of low- to no-carbon energy technologies and negative carbon concepts;

• performance of counterparties under ongoing renewable energy partnerships and development agreements;

• state and federal rate regulations and the impact of pending and future rate cases and negotiations, including rate actions relating to ROE, equity ratios, additional generating capacity, and fuel and other cost recovery mechanisms;

• the ability to successfully operate the electric utilities' generating, transmission, and distribution facilities and Southern Company Gas' natural gas distribution and storage facilities and the successful performance of necessary corporate functions;

• the inherent risks involved in operating and constructing nuclear generating facilities;

• the inherent risks involved in transporting and storing natural gas;

• the performance of projects undertaken by the non-utility businesses and the success of efforts to invest in and develop new opportunities;

• internal restructuring or other restructuring options that may be pursued;

• potential business strategies, including acquisitions or dispositions of assets or businesses, which cannot be assured to be completed or beneficial to Southern Company or its subsidiaries;

• the ability of counterparties of Southern Company and its subsidiaries to make payments as and when due and to perform as required;

• the ability to obtain new short- and long-term contracts with wholesale customers;

• the direct or indirect effect on the Southern Company system's business resulting from cyber intrusion or physical attack and the threat of physical attacks;

• interest rate fluctuations and financial market conditions and the results of financing efforts;

• access to capital markets and other financing sources;

• changes in Southern Company's and any of its subsidiaries' credit ratings;

• changes in the method of determining LIBOR or the replacement of LIBOR with an alternative reference rate;

• the ability of Southern Company's electric utilities to obtain additional generating capacity (or sell excess generating capacity) at competitive prices;

• catastrophic events such as fires, earthquakes, explosions, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and other storms, droughts, pandemic health events, political unrest, or other similar occurrences;

• the direct or indirect effects on the Southern Company system's business resulting from incidents affecting the U.S. electric grid, natural gas pipeline infrastructure, or operation of generating or storage resources;

• impairments of goodwill or long-lived assets;

• the effect of accounting pronouncements issued periodically by standard-setting bodies; and

• other factors discussed elsewhere herein and in other reports (including the Form 10-K) filed by the Registrants from time to time with the SEC.

The Registrants expressly disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

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PART I

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THE SOUTHERN COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (UNAUDITED)

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The following Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is a combined presentation; however, information contained herein relating to any individual Registrant is filed by such Registrant on its own behalf and each Registrant makes no representation as to information related to the other Registrants.

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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

OVERVIEW

Southern Company is a holding company that owns all of the common stock of three traditional electric operating companies (Alabama Power, Georgia Power, and Mississippi Power), as well as Southern Power and Southern Company Gas, and owns other direct and indirect subsidiaries. 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. Southern Company's reportable 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. Southern Company Gas' reportable segments are gas distribution operations, gas pipeline investments, wholesale gas services (until the sale of Sequent on July 1, 2021), and gas marketing services. See Notes (K) and (L) to the Condensed Financial Statements herein for additional information on the sale of Sequent and segment reporting, respectively. For additional information on the Registrants' primary business activities, see BUSINESS – "The Southern Company System" in Item 1 of the Form 10-K.

The Registrants continue to focus on several key performance indicators. For the traditional electric operating companies and Southern Company Gas, these indicators include, but are not limited to, customer satisfaction, plant availability, electric and natural gas system reliability, and execution of major construction projects. For Southern Power, these indicators include, but are not limited to, the equivalent forced outage rate and contract availability to evaluate operating results and help ensure its ability to meet its contractual commitments to customers. In addition, Southern Company and the Subsidiary Registrants focus on earnings per share and net income, respectively, as a key performance indicator.

Recent Developments

Alabama Power

On September 23, 2021, Alabama Power entered into an agreement to acquire all of the equity interests in Calhoun Power Company, LLC, which owns and operates a 743-MW winter peak, simple-cycle, combustion turbine generation facility in Calhoun County, Alabama (Calhoun Generating Station). The completion of the acquisition is subject to the satisfaction and waiver of certain conditions, including, among other customary conditions, approval by the Alabama PSC and the FERC. On October 28, 2021, Alabama Power filed a petition for a certificate of convenience and necessity with the Alabama PSC to procure additional generating capacity through the acquisition of the Calhoun Generating Station. The ultimate outcome of this matter cannot be determined at this time. See Note (B) to the Condensed Financial Statements under "Alabama Power – Calhoun Generating Station Acquisition" herein for additional information.

Georgia Power

Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 Construction and Start-Up Status

Construction continues on Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 (with electric generating capacity of approximately 1,100 MWs each), in which Georgia Power holds a 45.7% ownership interest. Georgia Power's share of the total project capital cost forecast to complete Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4, including contingency, through September 2022 and June 2023, respectively, is $9.48 billion.

Georgia Power estimates the productivity impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have consumed approximately three to four months of schedule margin previously embedded in the site work plan for Unit 3 and Unit 4. In addition, throughout 2020, the project continued to face challenges as described in Note (B) to the Condensed Financial Statements under "Georgia Power – Nuclear Construction" herein. As a result of these factors, in January 2021, Southern Nuclear further extended certain milestone dates, including the start of hot functional testing and fuel load for Unit 3, from those established in October 2020.

Following the January 2021 milestone extensions, Southern Nuclear has been performing additional construction remediation work necessary to ensure quality and design standards are met as system turnovers are completed to

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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

support hot functional testing, which was completed in July 2021, and fuel load for Unit 3. As a result of challenges including, but not limited to, construction productivity, construction remediation work, the pace of system turnovers, spent fuel pool repairs, and the timeframe and duration for hot functional and other testing, at the end of the second quarter 2021, Southern Nuclear further extended certain milestone dates, including the fuel load for Unit 3, from those established in January 2021. Through the third quarter 2021, the project continued to face challenges including, but not limited to, construction productivity, construction remediation work, and the pace of system turnovers. As a result of these continued challenges, at the end of the third quarter 2021, Southern Nuclear further extended certain milestone dates, including fuel load for Unit 3, from those established at the end of the second quarter 2021. The site work plan currently targets fuel load for Unit 3 in the first quarter 2022 and an in-service date of May 2022 and primarily depends on significant improvements in overall construction productivity and production levels, the volume of construction remediation work, the pace of system and area turnovers, and the progression of startup and other testing. As the site work plan includes minimal marg

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During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, there were no material changes to Southern Company's, Alabama Power's, Georgia Power's, Mississippi Power's, and Southern Power's disclosures about market risk. See Note (K) to the Condensed Financial Statements under "Southern Company Gas" herein for information regarding Southern Company Gas' sale of Sequent on July 1, 2021. For additional market risk disclosures relating to Southern Company Gas, see MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS – FINANCIAL CONDITION AND LIQUIDITY – "Market Price Risk" herein. For an in-depth discussion of each Registrant's market risks, see MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS – FINANCIAL CONDITION AND LIQUIDITY – "Market Price Risk" in Item 7 of the Form 10-K and Note 1 to the financial statements under "Financial Instruments" and Notes 13 and 14 to the financial statements in Item 8 of the Form 10-K, as well as Notes (I) and (J) to the Condensed Financial Statements herein.

(a)Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures.

As of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, Southern Company, Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Mississippi Power, Southern Power, and Southern Company Gas conducted separate evaluations under the supervision and with the participation of each company's management, including the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Sections 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended). Based upon these evaluations, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, in each case, concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

(b) Changes in internal controls over financial reporting.

There have been no changes in Southern Company's, Alabama Power's, Georgia Power's, Mississippi Power's, Southern Power's, or Southern Company Gas' internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) during the third quarter 2021 that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect Southern Company's, Alabama Power's, Georgia Power's, Mississippi Power's, Southern Power's, or Southern Company Gas' internal control over financial reporting.

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PART II — OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings.

See the Notes to the Condensed Financial Statements herein for information regarding certain legal and administrative proceedings in which the Registrants are involved. The Registrants' threshold for disclosing material environmental legal proceedings involving a governmental authority where potential monetary sanctions are involved is $1 million.

See RISK FACTORS in Item 1A of the Form 10-K for a discussion of the risk factors of the Registrants. There have been no material changes to these risk factors from those previously disclosed in the Form 10-K.

The exhibits below with an asterisk (*) preceding the exhibit number are filed herewith. The remaining exhibits have previously been filed with the SEC and are incorporated herein by reference. The exhibits marked with a pound sign (#) are management contracts or compensatory plans or arrangements.

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THE SOUTHERN COMPANY

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. The signature of the undersigned company shall be deemed to relate only to matters having reference to such company and any subsidiaries thereof included in such company's report.

Date: November 3, 2021

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ALABAMA POWER COMPANY

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. The signature of the undersigned company shall be deemed to relate only to matters having reference to such company and any subsidiaries thereof included in such company's report.

Date: November 3, 2021

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GEORGIA POWER COMPANY

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. The signature of the undersigned company shall be deemed to relate only to matters having reference to such company and any subsidiaries thereof included in such company's report.

Date: November 3, 2021

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MISSISSIPPI POWER COMPANY

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. The signature of the undersigned company shall be deemed to relate only to matters having reference to such company and any subsidiaries thereof included in such company's report.

Date: November 3, 2021

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SOUTHERN POWER COMPANY

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. The signature of the undersigned company shall be deemed to relate only to matters having reference to such company and any subsidiaries thereof included in such company's report.

Date: November 3, 2021

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SOUTHERN COMPANY GAS

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. The signature of the undersigned company shall be deemed to relate only to matters having reference to such company and any subsidiaries thereof included in such company's report.

Date: November 3, 2021