Effective Tax Rate and Unrecognized Tax Benefits (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Effective Tax Rate and Unrecognized Tax Benefits [Abstract]

Changes for unrecognized tax benefits

	Southern Company	Alabama Power	Georgia Power	Gulf Power	Mississippi Power	Southern Power
	(in millions)
Unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2011	$ 120	$ 32	$ 47	$   3	$   5	$   3
Tax positions from current periods	3	1	1	—	—	—
Tax positions from prior periods	(6)	(3)	(1)	—	(1)	(2)
Reductions due to settlements	(5)	(2)	(3)	(1)	—	1
Reductions due to expired statute of limitations	—	—	—	—	—	—
Balance as of March 31, 2012	$ 112	$ 28	$ 44	$   2	$   4	$   2

Impact on effective tax rate

	As of March 31, 2012			As of   December 31,   2011
	Georgia Power	Other Registrants	Southern Company	Southern Company
	(in millions)
Tax positions impacting the effective tax rate	$24	$  5	$  59	$  69
Tax positions not impacting the effective tax rate	20	32	53	51
Balance of unrecognized tax benefits	$44	$37	$112	$120

Accrued interest for unrecognized tax benefits

	Georgia Power	Other Registrants	Southern Company
	(in millions)
Interest accrued as of December 31, 2011	$ 6	$   3	$ 10
Interest reclassified due to settlements	(2)	(3)	(5)
Interest accrued during the period	1	—	1
Balance as of March 31, 2012	$ 5	$ —	$   6