Consolidated Statements of Income (USD $) Share data in Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010
Operating Revenues:
Retail revenues	$ 14,187,000,000		$ 15,071,000,000		$ 14,791,000,000
Wholesale revenues	1,675,000,000		1,905,000,000		1,994,000,000
Other electric revenues	616,000,000		611,000,000		589,000,000
Other revenues	59,000,000		70,000,000		82,000,000
Total operating revenues	16,537,000,000		17,657,000,000		17,456,000,000
Operating Expenses:
Fuel	5,057,000,000		6,262,000,000		6,699,000,000
Purchased power	544,000,000		608,000,000		563,000,000
Other operations and maintenance	3,791,000,000		3,938,000,000		4,010,000,000
MC Asset recovery litigation settlement	(19,000,000)		0		0
Depreciation and amortization	1,787,000,000		1,717,000,000		1,513,000,000
Taxes other than income taxes	914,000,000		901,000,000		869,000,000
Total operating expenses	12,074,000,000		13,426,000,000		13,654,000,000
Operating Income	4,463,000,000		4,231,000,000		3,802,000,000
Other Income and (Expense):
Allowance for equity funds used during construction	143,000,000		153,000,000		194,000,000
Interest income	40,000,000		21,000,000		24,000,000
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized	(859,000,000)		(857,000,000)		(895,000,000)
Other income (expense), net	(38,000,000)		(61,000,000)		(59,000,000)
Total other income and (expense)	(714,000,000)		(744,000,000)		(736,000,000)
Earnings Before Income Taxes	3,749,000,000		3,487,000,000		3,066,000,000
Income taxes	1,334,000,000		1,219,000,000		1,026,000,000
Net Income	2,415,000,000		2,268,000,000		2,040,000,000
Dividends on Preferred and Preference Stock	65,000,000		65,000,000		65,000,000
Net Income After Dividends on Preferred and Preference Stock	2,350,000,000	[1]	2,203,000,000	[1]	1,975,000,000	[1]
Earnings per share (EPS) -
Basic EPS	$ 2.70		$ 2.57		$ 2.37
Diluted EPS	$ 2.67		$ 2.55		$ 2.36
Average number of shares of common stock outstanding (in millions)
Basic	871		857		832
Diluted	879		864		837
Cash dividends paid per share of common stock	$ 1.9425		$ 1.8725		$ 1.8025
Southern Power [Member]
Operating Revenues:
Wholesale revenues, non-affiliates	753,653,000		870,607,000		752,772,000
Wholesale revenues, affiliates	425,180,000		358,585,000		370,630,000
Other revenues	7,215,000		6,769,000		6,939,000
Total operating revenues	1,186,048,000		1,235,961,000		1,130,341,000
Operating Expenses:
Fuel	426,257,000		454,790,000		391,535,000
Purchased power, non-affiliates	80,438,000		78,368,000		72,657,000
Purchased power, affiliates	12,915,000		52,924,000		97,408,000
Other operations and maintenance	173,074,000		171,538,000		148,238,000
Loss (gain) on sale of property	0		0		478,000
Depreciation and amortization	142,624,000		124,204,000		119,333,000
Taxes other than income taxes	19,309,000		17,686,000		17,831,000
Total operating expenses	854,617,000		899,510,000		847,480,000
Operating Income	331,431,000		336,451,000		282,861,000
Other Income and (Expense):
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized	(62,503,000)		(77,334,000)		(76,120,000)
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0		(19,806,000)		0
Other income (expense), net	(1,022,000)		(1,223,000)		(76,000)
Total other income and (expense)	(63,525,000)		(98,363,000)		(76,196,000)
Earnings Before Income Taxes	267,906,000		238,088,000		206,665,000
Income taxes	92,621,000		75,857,000		75,356,000
Net Income	175,285,000		162,231,000		131,309,000
Mississippi Power [Member]
Operating Revenues:
Retail revenues	747,453,000		792,463,000		797,912,000
Wholesale revenues, non-affiliates	255,557,000		273,178,000		287,917,000
Wholesale revenues, affiliates	16,403,000		30,417,000		41,614,000
Other revenues	16,583,000		16,819,000		15,625,000
Total operating revenues	1,035,996,000		1,112,877,000		1,143,068,000
Operating Expenses:
Fuel	411,226,000		490,415,000		501,830,000
Purchased power, non-affiliates	5,221,000		6,239,000		8,426,000
Purchased power, affiliates	49,907,000		65,574,000		75,230,000
Other operations and maintenance	228,675,000		266,395,000		268,063,000
Depreciation and amortization	86,510,000		80,337,000		76,891,000
Taxes other than income taxes	79,445,000		70,127,000		69,810,000
Total operating expenses	860,984,000		979,087,000		1,000,250,000
Operating Income	175,012,000		133,790,000		142,818,000
Other Income and (Expense):
Allowance for equity funds used during construction	64,793,000		24,707,000		3,795,000
Interest income	745,000		1,347,000		215,000
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized	(40,838,000)		(21,691,000)		(22,341,000)
Other income (expense), net	519,000		(45,000)		3,738,000
Total other income and (expense)	25,219,000		4,318,000		(14,593,000)
Earnings Before Income Taxes	200,231,000		138,108,000		128,225,000
Income taxes	50,391,000		42,193,000		46,275,000
Net Income	149,840,000		95,915,000		81,950,000
Dividends on Preferred and Preference Stock	1,733,000		1,733,000		1,733,000
Net Income After Dividends on Preferred and Preference Stock	148,107,000		94,182,000		80,217,000
Gulf Power [Member]
Operating Revenues:
Retail revenues	1,144,471,000		1,208,490,000		1,308,726,000
Wholesale revenues, non-affiliates	106,881,000		133,555,000		109,172,000
Wholesale revenues, affiliates	123,636,000		111,346,000		110,051,000
Other revenues	64,774,000		66,421,000		62,260,000
Total operating revenues	1,439,762,000		1,519,812,000		1,590,209,000
Operating Expenses:
Fuel	544,936,000		662,283,000		742,322,000
Purchased power, non-affiliates	51,421,000		48,882,000		41,278,000
Purchased power, affiliates	22,665,000		41,612,000		55,948,000
Other operations and maintenance	314,195,000		311,358,000		280,585,000
Depreciation and amortization	141,038,000		129,651,000		121,498,000
Taxes other than income taxes	97,313,000		101,302,000		101,778,000
Total operating expenses	1,171,568,000		1,295,088,000		1,343,409,000
Operating Income	268,194,000		224,724,000		246,800,000
Other Income and (Expense):
Allowance for equity funds used during construction	5,221,000		9,914,000		7,213,000
Interest income	1,408,000		54,000		123,000
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized	(60,250,000)		(58,150,000)		(51,897,000)
Other income (expense), net	(3,227,000)		(4,066,000)		(3,011,000)
Total other income and (expense)	(56,848,000)		(52,248,000)		(47,572,000)
Earnings Before Income Taxes	211,346,000		172,476,000		199,228,000
Income taxes	79,211,000		61,268,000		71,514,000
Net Income	132,135,000		111,208,000		127,714,000
Dividends on Preferred and Preference Stock	6,203,000		6,203,000		6,203,000
Net Income After Dividends on Preferred and Preference Stock	125,932,000		105,005,000		121,511,000
Georgia Power [Member]
Operating Revenues:
Retail revenues	7,362,000,000		8,099,000,000		7,608,000,000
Wholesale revenues, non-affiliates	281,000,000		341,000,000		380,000,000
Wholesale revenues, affiliates	20,000,000		32,000,000		53,000,000
Other revenues	335,000,000		328,000,000		308,000,000
Total operating revenues	7,998,000,000		8,800,000,000		8,349,000,000
Operating Expenses:
Fuel	2,051,000,000		2,789,000,000		3,102,000,000
Purchased power, non-affiliates	315,000,000		390,000,000		368,000,000
Purchased power, affiliates	666,000,000		713,000,000		578,000,000
Other operations and maintenance	1,644,000,000		1,777,000,000		1,734,000,000
Depreciation and amortization	745,000,000		715,000,000		558,000,000
Taxes other than income taxes	374,000,000		369,000,000		344,000,000
Total operating expenses	5,795,000,000		6,753,000,000		6,684,000,000
Operating Income	2,203,000,000		2,047,000,000		1,665,000,000
Other Income and (Expense):
Allowance for equity funds used during construction	53,000,000		96,000,000		147,000,000
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized	(366,000,000)		(343,000,000)		(375,000,000)
Other income (expense), net	(17,000,000)		(13,000,000)		(17,000,000)
Total other income and (expense)	(330,000,000)		(260,000,000)		(245,000,000)
Earnings Before Income Taxes	1,873,000,000		1,787,000,000		1,420,000,000
Income taxes	688,000,000		625,000,000		453,000,000
Net Income	1,185,000,000		1,162,000,000		967,000,000
Dividends on Preferred and Preference Stock	17,000,000		17,000,000		17,000,000
Net Income After Dividends on Preferred and Preference Stock	1,168,000,000		1,145,000,000		950,000,000
Alabama Power [Member]
Operating Revenues:
Retail revenues	4,933,000,000		4,972,000,000		5,076,000,000
Wholesale revenues, non-affiliates	277,000,000		287,000,000		465,000,000
Wholesale revenues, affiliates	111,000,000		244,000,000		236,000,000
Other revenues	199,000,000		199,000,000		199,000,000
Total operating revenues	5,520,000,000		5,702,000,000		5,976,000,000
Operating Expenses:
Fuel	1,503,000,000		1,679,000,000		1,851,000,000
Purchased power, non-affiliates	73,000,000		73,000,000		72,000,000
Purchased power, affiliates	182,000,000		198,000,000		208,000,000
Other operations and maintenance	1,287,000,000		1,262,000,000		1,418,000,000
Depreciation and amortization	639,000,000		637,000,000		606,000,000
Taxes other than income taxes	340,000,000		339,000,000		332,000,000
Total operating expenses	4,024,000,000		4,188,000,000		4,487,000,000
Operating Income	1,496,000,000		1,514,000,000		1,489,000,000
Other Income and (Expense):
Allowance for equity funds used during construction	19,000,000		22,000,000		36,000,000
Interest income	16,000,000		18,000,000		17,000,000
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized	(287,000,000)		(299,000,000)		(303,000,000)
Other income (expense), net	(24,000,000)		(30,000,000)		(30,000,000)
Total other income and (expense)	(276,000,000)		(289,000,000)		(280,000,000)
Earnings Before Income Taxes	1,220,000,000		1,225,000,000		1,209,000,000
Income taxes	477,000,000		478,000,000		463,000,000
Net Income	743,000,000		747,000,000		746,000,000
Dividends on Preferred and Preference Stock	39,000,000		39,000,000		39,000,000
Net Income After Dividends on Preferred and Preference Stock	$ 704,000,000		$ 708,000,000		$ 707,000,000

[1] *After dividends on preferred and preference stock of subsidiaries.