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Common Stock and Stock Compensation - Textual Stock Issued, Reserved, Employee (Details)
$ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Millions
1 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2017
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2016
USD ($)
shares
Dec. 31, 2017
USD ($)
goal
Employee
shares
Dec. 31, 2016
USD ($)
shares
Dec. 31, 2015
USD ($)
shares
Jul. 01, 2016
$ / shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]            
Number of Performance Goals | goal     3      
Shares vested and issued each year employee remains in service     33.00%      
Number of employees participating in restricted stock unit and performance share units program | Employee     327      
Common stock | $     $ 793.0 $ 3,758.0 $ 256.0  
Common stock fees and commissions | $   $ 1.1        
Stock issued employee and director stock plans     14,600      
Proceeds from issuance of shares under share-based compensation plans | $     $ 659.0      
Number of shares reserved for issuance to stock-based compensation plan     71,000      
Number of employees participating in stock-based compensation plans | Employee     5,112      
Common Stock            
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]            
Stock issued (in shares)     17,319 76,140 6,571  
Treasury            
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]            
Stock issued (in shares)     0 2,599 2,599  
At-The-Market | Common Stock            
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]            
Stock issued (in shares)   2,700        
Common stock | $   $ 134.0        
Southern Company Common Stock            
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]            
Remaining shares available for awards     13,000      
ALABAMA POWER CO            
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]            
Shares vested and issued each year employee remains in service     33.00%      
Number of employees participating in stock-based compensation plans | Employee     793      
GEORGIA POWER CO            
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]            
Shares vested and issued each year employee remains in service     33.00%      
Vesting period of performance share units issued under performance share plan     3 years      
Number of employees participating in stock-based compensation plans | Employee     895      
GULF POWER CO            
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]            
Shares vested and issued each year employee remains in service     33.00%      
Vesting period of performance share units issued under performance share plan     3 years      
Common stock | $ $ 175.0   $ 175.0 $ 0.0 $ 20.0  
Number of employees participating in stock-based compensation plans | Employee     168      
GULF POWER CO | Common Stock            
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]            
Stock issued (in shares)     0   1,000  
MISSISSIPPI POWER CO            
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]            
Vesting period of performance share units issued under performance share plan     3 years      
Number of employees participating in stock-based compensation plans | Employee     180      
SOUTHERN Co GAS            
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]            
Shares vested and issued each year employee remains in service     33.00%      
Southern Company | SOUTHERN Co GAS            
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]            
Business acquisition share price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares           $ 66