Financing - Scheduled Maturities and Redemptions of Securities Due Within One Year (Details) (USD $)					12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013 Alabama Power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Alabama Power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Alabama Power [Member] 4.92% Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Alabama Power [Member] 4.72% Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Alabama Power [Member] 4.64% Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Alabama Power [Member] 4.60% Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Alabama Power [Member] 4.52% Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Alabama Power [Member] 4.20% Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Alabama Power [Member] 5.83% Class A Preferred Stock [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Alabama Power [Member] 5.20% Class A Preferred Stock [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Alabama Power [Member] 5.30% Class A Preferred Stock [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Alabama Power [Member] 5.625% Preference Stock [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Alabama Power [Member] 6.450% Preference Stock [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Alabama Power [Member] 6.500% Preference Stock [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Georgia Power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Georgia Power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Mississippi Power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Mississippi Power [Member]
Redeemable Preferred/Preference Stock [Abstract]
Redeemable Preferred Stock/Preference Stock dividend rate percentage					0.0492		0.0472		0.0464		0.0460		0.0452		0.0420		0.0583	0.0520	0.0530	0.05625	0.06450		0.06500
Par Value/Stated Capital Per Share					$ 100	[1]	$ 100	[1]	$ 100	[1]	$ 100	[1]	$ 100	[1]	$ 100	[1]	$ 25	$ 25	$ 25	$ 25	$ 25	[1],[2]	$ 25	[1],[2]
Temporary Equity, Shares Outstanding					80,000	[1]	50,000	[1]	60,000	[1]	100,000	[1]	50,000	[1]	135,115	[1]	1,520,000	6,480,000	4,000,000	6,000,000	6,000,000	[1],[2]	2,000,000	[1],[2]			334,210	334,210
Redemption Price Per Share					$ 103.23	[1]	$ 102.18	[1]	$ 103.14	[1]	$ 104.20	[1]	$ 102.93	[1]	$ 105.00	[1]
Scheduled maturities and redemptions of securities due within one year
Senior notes	$ 428,000,000	$ 2,085,000,000		$ 250,000,000																					$ 0	$ 1,675,000,000	$ 0	$ 50,000,000
Other long-term debt	12,000,000	227,000,000
Capitalized leases	29,000,000	23,000,000																							5,000,000	5,000,000	2,500,000	0
Pollution control revenue bonds																											11,300,000	51,500,000
Bank term loans																											0	175,000,000
Total	$ 469,000,000	$ 2,335,000,000	$ 0	$ 250,000,000																					$ 5,000,000	$ 1,680,000,000	$ 13,789,000	$ 276,471,000

[1] Redemption permitted any time after issuance

[2] Prior to 10/01/2017: Stated Value Plus Make-Whole Premium; after 10/01/2017: Stated Capital