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Financing and Leases
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2023
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
Financing and Leases FINANCING AND LEASES
Bank Credit Arrangements
See Note 8 to the financial statements under "Bank Credit Arrangements" in Item 8 of the Form 10-K for additional information.
At September 30, 2023, committed credit arrangements with banks were as follows:
Expires
Company2024202520262028TotalUnusedExpires within
One Year
(in millions)
Southern Company parent(a)
$150 $— $— $1,850 $2,000 $1,998 $150 
Alabama Power— — 650 700 1,350 1,350 — 
Georgia Power— — — 1,750 1,750 1,726 — 
Mississippi Power— 125 150 — 275 275 — 
Southern Power(a)(b)
— — — 600 600 589 — 
Southern Company Gas(c)
100 — — 1,500 1,600 1,598 100 
SEGCO30 — — — 30 30 30 
Southern Company$280 $125 $800 $6,400 $7,605 $7,566 $280 
(a)Arrangement expiring in 2028 represents a $2.45 billion combined arrangement for Southern Company and Southern Power as borrowers. Pursuant to the combined facility, the allocations between Southern Company and Southern Power may be adjusted.
(b)Does not include Southern Power Company's $75 million and $100 million continuing letter of credit facilities for standby letters of credit, expiring in 2025 and 2026, respectively, of which $9 million and $16 million, respectively, was unused at September 30, 2023. In March 2023, Southern Power amended the $100 million letter of credit facility, which, among other things, extended the expiration date from 2025 to 2026 and increased the amount from $75 million. Southern Power's subsidiaries are not parties to its bank credit arrangements or letter of credit facilities.
(c)Southern Company Gas, as the parent entity, guarantees the obligations of Southern Company Gas Capital, which is the borrower of $800 million of the credit arrangement expiring in 2028. Southern Company Gas' committed credit arrangement expiring in 2028 also includes $700 million for which Nicor Gas is the borrower and which is restricted for working capital needs of Nicor Gas. Pursuant to the multi-year credit arrangement expiring in 2028, the allocations between Southern Company Gas Capital and Nicor Gas may be adjusted. Nicor Gas is also the borrower under a $100 million credit arrangement expiring in 2024.
As reflected in the table above, in May 2023, Southern Company and Southern Power combined and extended their multi-year credit arrangements previously maturing in 2026, resulting in a single aggregate $2.45 billion facility (currently allocated $1.85 billion for Southern Company and $600 million for Southern Power) maturing in 2028. Pursuant to the combined facility, the allocations between Southern Company and Southern Power may be adjusted. Alabama Power, Georgia Power, and Southern Company Gas Capital, along with Nicor Gas, amended and restated certain of their multi-year credit arrangements, which, among other things, extended the maturity dates from 2026 to 2028. Mississippi Power amended and restated certain of its multi-year credit arrangements aggregating $150 million, which, among other things, extended the maturity dates from 2024 to 2026. Nicor Gas also entered into a $100 million credit arrangement maturing in 2024 to replace its $250 million credit arrangement that expired in 2023. In June 2023, Southern Company also entered into a new $150 million credit arrangement maturing in 2024. In August 2023, Alabama Power amended and restated one of its multi-year credit arrangements, which, among other things, extended the maturity date from 2024 to 2026 and increased the borrowing capacity from $550 million to $650 million.
Subject to applicable market conditions, Southern Company and its subsidiaries expect to renew or replace their bank credit arrangements as needed, prior to expiration. In connection therewith, Southern Company and its subsidiaries may extend the maturity dates and/or increase or decrease the lending commitments thereunder.
These bank credit arrangements, as well as the term loan arrangements of the Registrants, Nicor Gas, and SEGCO, contain covenants that limit debt levels and contain cross-acceleration provisions to other indebtedness (including guarantee obligations) that are restricted only to the indebtedness of the individual company. The cross-acceleration provisions to other indebtedness would trigger an event of default if the applicable borrower defaulted on indebtedness, the payment of which was then accelerated. At September 30, 2023, the Registrants, Nicor Gas, and SEGCO were in compliance with all such covenants. None of the bank credit arrangements contain material adverse change clauses at the time of borrowings.
A portion of the unused credit with banks is allocated to provide liquidity support to certain revenue bonds of the traditional electric operating companies and the commercial paper programs of the Registrants, Nicor Gas, and SEGCO. At September 30, 2023, outstanding variable rate demand revenue bonds of the traditional electric operating companies with allocated liquidity support totaled approximately $1.7 billion (comprised of approximately $818 million at Alabama Power, $819 million at Georgia Power, and $69 million at Mississippi Power). In addition, at September 30, 2023, Alabama Power and Georgia Power had approximately $120 million and $325 million, respectively, of fixed rate revenue bonds outstanding that are required to be remarketed within the next 12 months. The variable rate demand revenue bonds and fixed rate revenue bonds required to be remarketed within the next 12 months are classified as long-term debt on the balance sheets as a result of available long-term committed credit.
Convertible Senior Notes
In February 2023, Southern Company issued $1.5 billion aggregate principal amount of Series 2023A 3.875% Convertible Senior Notes due December 15, 2025 (Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes). In March 2023, Southern Company issued an additional $225 million aggregate principal amount of the Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes upon the exercise by the initial purchasers of their over-allotment option.
Interest on the Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes is payable semiannually, which began on June 15, 2023. The Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes will mature on December 15, 2025, unless earlier converted or repurchased, but are not redeemable at the option of Southern Company. The Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes are direct, unsecured, and unsubordinated obligations of Southern Company, ranking equally with all of Southern Company's other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness from time to time outstanding, and are effectively subordinated to all secured indebtedness of Southern Company.
Holders may convert their Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes at their option prior to the close of business on the business day preceding September 15, 2025, but only under the following circumstances:
•during any calendar quarter (and only during such calendar quarter), if the last reported sale price of Southern Company's common stock for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during the period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on, and including, the last trading day of the immediately preceding calendar quarter is greater than or equal to 130% of the conversion price on each applicable trading day as determined by Southern Company;
•during the five business day period after any 10 consecutive trading day period (Measurement Period) in which the trading price per $1,000 principal amount of Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes for each trading day of the Measurement Period was less than 98% of the product of the last reported sale price of the common stock and the conversion rate on each such trading day; or
•upon the occurrence of certain corporate events specified in the indenture governing the Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes.
On or after September 15, 2025, a holder may convert all or any portion of its Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes at any time prior to the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date regardless of the foregoing conditions.
Southern Company will settle conversions of the Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes by paying cash up to the aggregate principal amount of the Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes to be converted and paying or delivering, as the case may be, cash, shares of common stock or a combination of cash and shares of common stock, at Southern Company's election, in respect of the remainder, if any, of Southern Company's conversion obligation in excess of the aggregate principal amount of the Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes being converted. The Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes are initially convertible at a rate of 11.8818 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount converted, which is approximately equal to $84.16 per share of common stock. The conversion rate will be subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain specified events but will not be adjusted for accrued and unpaid interest. In addition, upon the occurrence of a make-whole fundamental change (as defined in the indenture governing the Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes), Southern Company will, in certain circumstances, increase the conversion rate by a number of additional shares of common stock for conversions in connection with the make-whole fundamental change.
Upon the occurrence of a fundamental change (as defined in the indenture governing the Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes), holders of the Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes may require Southern Company to purchase all or a portion of their Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes, in principal amounts equal to $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof, for cash at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes to be purchased plus any accrued and unpaid interest.
Earnings per Share
For Southern Company, the only difference in computing basic and diluted earnings per share (EPS) is attributable to awards outstanding under stock-based compensation plans and the Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes. EPS dilution resulting from stock-based compensation plans is determined using the treasury stock method and EPS dilution resulting from the Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes is determined using the net share settlement method. See Note 12 to the financial statements in Item 8 of the Form 10-K and "Convertible Senior Notes" herein for additional information. Shares used to compute diluted EPS were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023202220232022
 (in millions)
As reported shares1,092 1,082 1,092 1,070 
Effect of stock-based compensation7 6 6 6 
Diluted shares1,099 1,088 1,098 1,076 
For all periods presented, an immaterial number of stock-based compensation awards was excluded from the diluted EPS calculation because the awards were anti-dilutive.
For all periods presented, there was no dilution resulting from the Series 2023A Convertible Senior Notes.
Southern Company Leveraged Lease
See Note 9 to the financial statements in Item 8 of the Form 10-K for information on a leveraged lease agreement related to energy generation. In June 2022, the Southern Holdings subsidiary operating the generating plant for the lessee provided notice to the lessee to terminate the related operating and maintenance agreement effective June 30, 2023. Subsequently, the lessee failed to make the semi-annual lease payment due in December 2022. As a result, the Southern Holdings subsidiary was unable to make its corresponding payment to the holders of the underlying non-recourse debt related to the generation assets. The parties to the lease entered into forbearance agreements which suspended the related contractual rights of the parties while they continued restructuring negotiations, during which
the termination date for the operating and maintenance agreement was delayed until July 31, 2023. The negotiations were completed on July 14, 2023, resulting in the Southern Holdings subsidiary agreeing to continue operating the plant for the lessee until the lessee's associated power off-take agreement ends in 2032, subject to certain terms and conditions. The restructuring had no material impact on Southern Company's financial statements. Southern Company will continue to monitor the operational performance of the underlying assets and evaluate the ability of the lessee to continue to meet its obligations, including those associated with a future closure or retirement of the generation assets and associated properties, including the dry ash landfill.