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CONSOLIDATED ENTITIES AND EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENTS
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]  
CONSOLIDATED ENTITIES AND EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENTS CONSOLIDATED ENTITIES AND EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENTS
The Registrants may hold ownership interests in a number of business ventures with varying ownership structures. Partnership interests and other variable interests are evaluated to determine if each entity is a VIE. If a venture is a VIE for which a Registrant is the primary beneficiary, the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of the entity are consolidated. The Registrants reassess the conclusion as to whether an entity is a VIE upon certain occurrences, which are deemed reconsideration events.
For entities that are not determined to be VIEs, the Registrants evaluate whether they have control or significant influence over the investee to determine the appropriate consolidation and presentation. Generally, entities under the control of a Registrant are consolidated, and entities over which a Registrant can exert significant influence, but which a Registrant does not control, are accounted for under the equity method of accounting.
Investments accounted for under the equity method are recorded within equity investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries in the balance sheets and, for Southern Company and Southern Company Gas, the equity income is recorded within earnings from equity method investments in the statements of income. See "SEGCO" and "Southern Company Gas" herein for additional information.
Southern Company
At December 31, 2023 and 2022, Southern Holdings had equity method investments totaling $126 million and $112 million, respectively, primarily related to investments in venture capital funds focused on energy and utility investments. Earnings from these investments were immaterial for all periods presented.
SEGCO
Alabama Power and Georgia Power own equally all of the outstanding capital stock of SEGCO, which owns electric generating units at Plant Gaston with a total rated capacity of 1,020 MWs, as well as associated transmission facilities. Retirement of SEGCO's generating units is currently expected to occur by December 31, 2028. However, Alabama Power, in conjunction with Georgia Power, is evaluating extending the operation of Plant Gaston Units 1 through 4 beyond the indicated retirement date. See Note 2 under "Georgia Power – Integrated Resource Plans" for additional information. Alabama Power and Georgia Power account for SEGCO using the equity method; Southern Company consolidates SEGCO. The capacity of these units is sold equally to Alabama Power and Georgia Power. Alabama Power and Georgia Power make payments sufficient to provide for the operating expenses, taxes, interest expense, and a ROE. The share of purchased power included in purchased power, affiliates in the statements of income totaled $112 million in 2023, $124 million in 2022, and $75 million in 2021 for Alabama Power and $115 million in 2023, $127 million in 2022, and $77 million in 2021 for Georgia Power.
SEGCO paid dividends of $25 million in 2023, $14 million in 2022, and $14 million in 2021, one half of which were paid to each of Alabama Power and Georgia Power. In addition, Alabama Power and Georgia Power each recognize 50% of SEGCO's net income.
Alabama Power, which owns and operates a generating unit adjacent to the SEGCO generating units, has a joint ownership agreement with SEGCO for the ownership of an associated gas pipeline. Alabama Power owns 14% of the pipeline with the remaining 86% owned by SEGCO.
See Note 3 under "Guarantees" for additional information regarding guarantees of Alabama Power and Georgia Power related to SEGCO.
Southern Power
Variable Interest Entities
Southern Power has certain subsidiaries that are determined to be VIEs. Southern Power is considered the primary beneficiary of these VIEs because it controls the most significant activities of the VIEs, including operating and maintaining the respective assets, and has the obligation to absorb expected losses of these VIEs to the extent of its equity interests.
SP Solar and SP Wind
SP Solar is owned by Southern Power and a limited partner. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Power is the general partner and holds a 1% ownership interest, and another wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Power owns a 66% ownership interest. The limited partner holds the remaining 33% noncontrolling interest. SP Solar qualifies as a VIE since the arrangement is structured as a limited partnership and the 33% limited partner does not have substantive kick-out rights against the general partner.
At December 31, 2023 and 2022, SP Solar had total assets of $5.6 billion and $5.9 billion, respectively, total liabilities of $0.4 billion, and noncontrolling interests of $1.0 billion and $1.1 billion, respectively. Cash distributions from SP Solar are allocated 67% to Southern Power and 33% to the limited partner in accordance with their partnership interest percentage. Under the terms of the limited partnership agreement, distributions without limited partner consent are limited to available cash and SP Solar is obligated to distribute all such available cash to its partners each quarter. Available cash includes all cash generated in the quarter subject to the maintenance of appropriate operating reserves.
SP Wind is owned by Southern Power and three financial investors. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Power owns 100% of the Class B membership interests and the three financial investors own 100% of the Class A membership interests. SP Wind qualifies as a VIE since the structure of the arrangement is similar to a limited partnership and the Class A members do not have substantive kick-out rights against Southern Power.
At December 31, 2023 and 2022, SP Wind had total assets of $2.1 billion and $2.2 billion, respectively, total liabilities of $187 million and $169 million, respectively, and noncontrolling interests of $38 million and $39 million, respectively. Under the terms of the limited liability agreement, distributions without Class A member consent are limited to available cash and SP Wind is obligated to distribute all such available cash to its members each quarter. Available cash includes all cash generated in the quarter subject to the maintenance of appropriate operating reserves. Cash distributions from SP Wind are generally allocated 60% to Southern Power and 40% to the three financial investors in accordance with the limited liability agreement.
Southern Power consolidates both SP Solar and SP Wind, as the primary beneficiary, since it controls the most significant activities of each entity, including operating and maintaining their assets. Certain transfers and sales of the assets in the VIEs are subject to partner consent and the liabilities are non-recourse to the general credit of Southern Power. Liabilities consist of customary working capital items and do not include any long-term debt.
Other Variable Interest Entities
Southern Power has other consolidated VIEs that relate to certain subsidiaries that have either sold noncontrolling interests to tax equity investors or acquired less than a 100% interest from facility developers. These entities are considered VIEs because the arrangements are structured similar to a limited partnership and the noncontrolling members do not have substantive kick-out rights.
At December 31, 2023 and 2022, the other VIEs had total assets of $1.7 billion and $1.8 billion, respectively, total liabilities of $0.2 billion, and noncontrolling interests of $0.8 billion. Under the terms of the partnership agreements, distributions of all available cash are required each month or quarter and additional distributions require partner consent.
Equity Method Investments
During 2023 and 2022, Southern Power sold its remaining equity method investments in wind projects and received proceeds totaling $50 million and $38 million, respectively. Earnings (loss) from these investments, including the gains associated with the sales, were immaterial for all periods presented.
Southern Company Gas
Equity Method Investments
The carrying amounts of Southern Company Gas' equity method investments at December 31, 2023 and 2022 and related earnings (loss) from those investments for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 were as follows:
Investment BalanceDecember 31, 2023
December 31, 2022
(in millions)
SNG$1,202 $1,243 
Other
33 33 
Total$1,235 $1,276 
Earnings (Loss) from Equity Method Investments202320222021
(in millions)
SNG$139 $146 $127 
PennEast Pipeline(*)
— — (81)
Other1 2 4 
Total$140 $148 $50 
(*)For 2021, includes pre-tax impairment charges totaling $84 million. See "PennEast Pipeline Project" herein for additional information, including the September 2021 cancellation of the project.
PennEast Pipeline Project
In 2014, Southern Company Gas entered into a partnership in which it holds a 20% ownership interest in the PennEast Pipeline, an interstate pipeline company formed to develop and operate an approximate 118-mile natural gas pipeline between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In 2019, an appellate court ruled that the PennEast Pipeline does not have federal eminent domain authority over lands in which a state has property rights interests. In June 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of PennEast Pipeline following a review of the appellate court decision. Southern Company Gas assesses its equity method investments for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the investment may be impaired. Following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, during the second quarter 2021, Southern Company Gas management reassessed the project construction timing, including the anticipated timing for receipt of a FERC certificate and all remaining state and local permits, as well as potential challenges thereto, and performed an impairment analysis. The outcome of the analysis resulted in a pre-tax impairment charge of $82 million ($58 million after tax). In September 2021, PennEast Pipeline announced that further development of the project was no longer supported, and, as a result, all further development of the project ceased. During the third quarter 2021, Southern Company Gas recorded an additional pre-tax charge of $2 million ($2 million after tax) related to its share of the project level impairment, as well as $7 million of additional tax expense, resulting in total pre-tax charges of $84 million ($67 million after tax) during 2021 related to the project.