CONTINGENCIES, COMMITMENTS, AND GUARANTEES - GAS Commitments (Details) - Southern Company Gas MMBTU in Millions, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) MMBTU
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Natural gas pipeline capacity \| MMBTU	38
Long-term purchase commitment amount	$ 98
Pipeline Charges, Storage Capacity, and Gas Supply
Pipeline Charges, Storage Capacity, and Gas Supply
2024	587
2025	432
2026	231
2027	148
2028	103
Thereafter	785
Total	$ 2,286

Represents the capacity of a natural gas pipeline.

No definition available.

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- Definition

The minimum amount the entity agreed to spend under the long-term purchase commitment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of fixed and determinable portion of unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in fifth fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 440
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147482648/440-10-50-4

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of fixed and determinable portion of unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in next fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of fixed and determinable portion of unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in fourth fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of fixed and determinable portion of unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in second fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of fixed and determinable portion of unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in third fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnrecordedUnconditionalPurchaseObligationBalanceOnThirdAnniversary
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of the unrecorded obligation to transfer funds in the future for fixed or minimum amounts or quantities of goods or services at fixed or minimum prices (for example, as in take-or-pay contracts or throughput contracts).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnrecordedUnconditionalPurchaseObligationBalanceSheetAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of fixed and determinable portion of unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid after fifth fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 440
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147482648/440-10-50-4

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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- Details

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