Introduction (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Certain prior year data presented in the financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications had no impact on the results of operations, financial position, or cash flows of any registrant.

Asset Retirement Obligations

See Note 1 to the financial statements of Southern Company and Alabama Power under "Asset Retirement Obligations and Other Costs of Removal" in Item 8 of the Form 10-K for additional information.

Asset retirement obligations (ARO) are computed as the present value of the ultimate costs for an asset's future retirement and are recorded in the period in which the liability is incurred.

Depreciation

Beginning in 2014, Southern Power changed the method of depreciation for its property, plant, and equipment from composite depreciation to component depreciation. As a result, certain generation assets are depreciated on a units-of-production basis to better match outage and maintenance costs to the usage of, and revenues from, these assets. The expense will fluctuate quarterly based on unit run time, but this change in methodology is not expected to have a material impact on an annual basis on the financial statements of Southern Company or Southern Power. The book value of plant-in-service as of September 30, 2014 that is depreciated on a units of production basis was approximately $470 million.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

On May 28, 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. ASC 606 revises the accounting for revenue recognition and is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. The registrants are currently evaluating the requirements of ASC 606. The ultimate impact of the new standard has not yet been determined.

Valuation Methodologies

The energy-related derivatives primarily consist of over-the-counter financial products for natural gas and physical power products including, from time to time, basis swaps. These are standard products used within the energy industry and are valued using the market approach. The inputs used are mainly from observable market sources, such as forward natural gas prices, power prices, implied volatility, and overnight index swap interest rates. Interest rate and foreign currency derivatives are also standard over-the-counter financial products valued using the market approach. Inputs for interest rate derivatives include LIBOR interest rates, interest rate futures contracts, and occasionally implied volatility of interest rate options. Inputs for foreign currency derivatives are from observable market sources. See Note (H) herein for additional information on how these derivatives are used.

For fair value measurements of investments within the nuclear decommissioning trusts, specifically the fixed income assets using significant other observable inputs and unobservable inputs, the primary valuation technique used is the market approach. External pricing vendors are designated for each of the asset classes in the nuclear decommissioning trusts with each security discriminately assigned a primary pricing source, based on similar characteristics. A market price secured from the primary source vendor is then evaluated by management in its valuation of the assets within the trusts. As a general approach, market pricing vendors gather market data (including indices and market research reports) and integrate relative credit information, observed market movements, and sector news into proprietary pricing models, pricing systems, and mathematical tools. Dealer quotes and other market information including live trading levels and pricing analysts' judgment are also obtained when available. Investments in private equity and real estate within the nuclear decommissioning trusts are generally classified as Level 3, as the underlying assets typically do not have observable inputs. The fund manager values these assets using various inputs and techniques depending on the nature of the underlying investments. The fair value of partnerships is determined by aggregating the value of the underlying assets.

"Other investments" include investments in funds that are valued using the market approach and income approach. Securities that are traded in the open market are valued at the closing price on their principal exchange as of the measurement date. For investments that are not traded in the open market, the price paid will have been determined based on market factors including comparable multiples and the expectations regarding cash flows and business plan execution. As the investments mature or if market conditions change materially, further analysis of the fair market value of the investment is performed.

Earnings per Share

For Southern Company, the only difference in computing basic and diluted earnings per share is attributable to awards outstanding under the stock option and performance share plans. See Note 8 to the financial statements of Southern Company in Item 8 of the Form 10-K for information on the stock option and performance share plans. The effects of both stock options and performance share award units were determined using the treasury stock method.

Interest Rate Derivatives

Southern Company and certain subsidiaries may also enter into interest rate derivatives to hedge exposure to changes in interest rates. The derivatives employed as hedging instruments are structured to minimize ineffectiveness. Derivatives related to existing variable rate securities or forecasted transactions are accounted for as cash flow hedges where the effective portion of the derivatives' fair value gains or losses is recorded in OCI and is reclassified into earnings at the same time the hedged transactions affect earnings, with any ineffectiveness recorded directly to earnings. Derivatives related to existing fixed rate securities are accounted for as fair value hedges, where the derivatives' fair value gains or losses and hedged items' fair value gains or losses are both recorded directly to earnings, providing an offset, with any difference representing ineffectiveness.

Energy-Related Derivatives

The traditional operating companies and Southern Power enter into energy-related derivatives to hedge exposures to electricity, gas, and other fuel price changes. However, due to cost-based rate regulations and other various cost recovery mechanisms, the traditional operating companies have limited exposure to market volatility in commodity fuel prices and prices of electricity. Each of the traditional operating companies manages fuel-hedging programs, implemented per the guidelines of their respective state PSCs, through the use of financial derivative contracts, which is expected to continue to mitigate price volatility. The traditional operating companies (with respect to wholesale generating capacity) and Southern Power have limited exposure to market volatility in commodity fuel prices and prices of electricity because their long-term sales contracts shift substantially all fuel cost responsibility to the purchaser. However, Southern Power has been and may continue to be exposed to market volatility in energy-related commodity prices as a result of sales from its uncontracted generating capacity. Further, the traditional operating companies may be exposed to market volatility in energy-related commodity prices to the extent any uncontracted wholesale generating capacity is used to sell electricity.

To mitigate residual risks relative to movements in electricity prices, the traditional operating companies and Southern Power may enter into physical fixed-price contracts for the purchase and sale of electricity through the wholesale electricity market. To mitigate residual risks relative to movements in gas prices, the traditional operating companies and Southern Power may enter into fixed-price contracts for natural gas purchases; however, a significant portion of contracts are priced at market.

Energy-related derivative contracts are accounted for under one of three methods:

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Regulatory Hedges — Energy-related derivative contracts which are designated as regulatory hedges relate primarily to the traditional operating companies' fuel-hedging programs, where gains and losses are initially recorded as regulatory liabilities and assets, respectively, and then are included in fuel expense as the underlying fuel is used in operations and ultimately recovered through the respective fuel cost recovery clauses.


•	Cash Flow Hedges — Gains and losses on energy-related derivatives designated as cash flow hedges which are mainly used to hedge anticipated purchases and sales and are initially deferred in OCI before being recognized in the statements of income in the same period as the hedged transactions are reflected in earnings.


•	Not Designated — Gains and losses on energy-related derivative contracts that are not designated or fail to qualify as hedges are recognized in the statements of income as incurred.

Some energy-related derivative contracts require physical delivery as opposed to financial settlement, and this type of derivative is both common and prevalent within the electric industry. When an energy-related derivative contract is settled physically, any cumulative unrealized gain or loss is reversed and the contract price is recognized in the respective line item representing the actual price of the underlying goods being delivered.

Foreign Currency Derivatives

Southern Company and certain subsidiaries may enter into foreign currency derivatives to hedge exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates arising from purchases of equipment denominated in a currency other than U.S. dollars. Derivatives related to a firm commitment in a foreign currency transaction are accounted for as fair value hedges where the derivatives' fair value gains or losses and the hedged items' fair value gains or losses are both recorded directly to earnings. Derivatives related to a forecasted transaction are accounted for as cash flow hedges where the effective portion of the derivatives' fair value gains or losses is recorded in OCI and is reclassified into earnings at the same time the hedged transactions affect earnings. The derivatives employed as hedging instruments are structured to minimize ineffectiveness. Any ineffectiveness is recorded directly to earnings; however, Mississippi Power has regulatory approval allowing it to defer any ineffectiveness associated with firm commitments related to the Kemper IGCC to a regulatory asset.

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for determining amounts to accrue and charge against earnings so as to satisfy legal obligations associated with the retirement (through sale, abandonment, recycling, or disposal in some other manner) of a tangible long-lived asset that result from the acquisition, construction, or development and (or) the normal operation of a long-lived asset. This accounting policy disclosure excludes obligations arising 1) in connection with leased property, whether imposed by a lease agreement or by a party other than the lessor, that meet the definition of either minimum lease payments or contingent rentals; 2) solely from a plan to sell or otherwise dispose of a long-lived asset and 3) from certain environmental remediation liabilities.

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- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for its derivative instruments and hedging activities.

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- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for computing basic and diluted earnings or loss per share for each class of common stock and participating security. Addresses all significant policy factors, including any antidilutive items that have been excluded from the computation and takes into account stock dividends, splits and reverse splits that occur after the balance sheet date of the latest reporting period but before the issuance of the financial statements.

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