Exhibit 10(a)4

                               FIRST AMENDMENT TO
                              THE SOUTHERN COMPANY
                           DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN


         WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of Southern Company Services, Inc. (the
"Company") heretofore established and adopted the Southern Company Deferred
Compensation Plan, as amended and restated effective February 23, 2001 (the
"Plan"); and

         WHEREAS, Section 8.3 of the Plan provides that the Plan may be amended
or modified by the Committee, if such amendment or modification does not involve
a substantial increase in cost to any Employing Company; and

         WHEREAS, the Committee desires to amend the Plan to clarify that the
Plan provides the Company with the authority to reduce Compensation and/or
Incentive Pay for any mandatory taxes prior to applying any election to defer
such Compensation and/or Incentive Pay under the Plan; and

         WHEREAS, the Committee has determined that the above amendments do not
involve a substantial increase in cost to any Employing Company.

         NOW THEREFORE, effective September 27, 2002, the Committee hereby
amends the Plan as follows:

                                       1.

                  5.1 A Participant may elect to defer payment of a portion of
         his or her Compensation otherwise payable to him by his or her
         Employing Company during each payroll period of the next succeeding
         Plan Year by any whole percentage not to exceed fifty percent (50%) of
         his or her Compensation, or such greater or lesser amount as shall be
         determined by the Committee from time to time. A Participant may also
         elect to defer payment of up to one hundred percent (100%), by whole
         percentages, of any Incentive Pay otherwise payable to him or her by
         his or her Employing Company. The Company shall have the authority to
         withhold any mandatory taxes from Compensation and/or Incentive Pay
         prior to the application of a Deferral Election.

                                       2.

                  Except as amended herein, by this First Amendment, the Plan
         shall remain in full force and effect as amended and restated by the
         Company.






         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Committee, through its duly authorized member,
has adopted the First Amendment to the Southern Company Deferred Compensation
Plan, as amended and restated as of February 23, 2001, this 27th day of
September, 2002.


                                                  SOUTHERN COMPANY DEFERRED
                                                  COMPENSATION PLAN COMMITTEE


                                                  By:

(CORPORATE SEAL)
                                                  Its:


Attest:


Tommy Chisolm
Secretary