SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                                Washington, D.C.

                          Three year period ending 2008

                                Advance Statement

                      FORM U-12(I)-B (THREE-YEAR STATEMENT)

   Statement Pursuant to Section 12(i) of Public Utility Holding Company Act of
1935 by a Person Regularly Employed or Retained by a Registered Holding Company
or a Subsidiary Thereof and Whose Employment Contemplates Only Routine Expenses
as Specified in Rule 71(b)

         1.       Name and business address of person filing statement.

                  Zeke W. Smith
                  600 North 18th Street
                  Birmingham, Alabama 35291

         2. Names and business addresses of any persons through whom the
undersigned proposes to act in matters included within the exemption provided by
paragraph (b) of Rule U-71.

                  None

         3. Registered holding companies and subsidiary companies by which the
undersigned is regularly employed or retained.

                  Alabama Power Company, Southern Company and all its
                  subsidiaries.

         4. Position or relationship in which the undersigned is employed or
retained by each of the companies named in item 3, and brief description of
nature of services to be rendered in each such position or relationship.

                  Vice President

         5. (a) Compensation received during the prior reporting period and
estimated to be received over the next two calendar years by the undersigned or
others, directly or indirectly, for services rendered by the undersigned, from
each of the companies designated in item 3. (Use column (a) as supplemental
statement only.)

                           Salary or other
                            Compensations

Name of         received            to be           Person or company from whom
recipient                          received          received or to be received

Zeke W.           (a)                (b)
Smith            $ N/A          to be included          Alabama Power Company
                                in supplemental

                                    statement

           (b) Basis for compensation if other than salary. None

          6. (To be answered in supplementary statement only.) Expenses incurred
by the undersigned or any person named in item 2, above, during the calendar
year in connection with the activities described in item 4, above, and the
source or sources of reimbursement for same.

           (a) Total amount of routine expenses charged to client: None

           (b) Itemized list of all other expenses: None

Date:    March 16, 2005                              (Signed) /s/ Zeke W. Smith