Income Taxes	6 Months Ended
Income Taxes	Jun. 30, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
INCOME TAXES	INCOME TAXES See Note 10 to the financial statements in Item 8 of the Form 10-K for additional tax information. Current and Deferred Income Taxes Tax Credit Carryforwards Southern Company had federal ITC and PTC carryforwards (primarily related to Southern Power) totaling $2.0 billion as of June 30, 2019 compared to $2.4 billion as of December 31, 2018. The federal ITC and PTC carryforwards begin expiring in 2034 and 2032, respectively, but are expected to be fully utilized by 2023. The estimated tax credit utilization reflects the projected taxable gains on the various sale transactions describe in Note (K) and could be further delayed by numerous factors, including the acquisition of additional renewable projects, the purchase of rights to additional PTCs of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 pursuant to certain joint ownership agreements, and changes in taxable income projections. See Note (B) and Note 2 to the financial statements in Item 8 of the Form 10-K under "Georgia Power – Nuclear Construction" for additional information regarding Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4. Effective Tax Rate Details of significant changes in the effective tax rate for the applicable registrants are provided herein. Southern Company Southern Company's effective tax rate is typically lower than the statutory rate due to employee stock plans' dividend deduction, non-taxable AFUDC equity and flowback of excess deferred income taxes at the regulated utilities, and federal income tax benefits from ITCs and PTCs, primarily at Southern Power. Southern Company's effective tax rate was 33.5% for the six months ended June 30, 2019 compared to an effective tax benefit rate of (3.2)% for the corresponding period in 2018. The effective tax rate increase was primarily due to the tax impact from the sale of Gulf Power in 2019 and the 2018 charge to earnings related to the construction of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4. See Note (K) and Note 2 to the financial statements in Item 8 of the Form 10-K under "Georgia Power – Nuclear Construction" for additional information. Georgia Power Georgia Power's effective tax rate was 21.7% for the six months ended June 30, 2019 compared to a benefit rate of (53.5)% for the corresponding period in 2018. The effective tax rate increase was primarily due to the 2018 charge to earnings related to the construction of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4, partially offset by an increase in state ITCs. See Note 2 to the financial statements in Item 8 of the Form 10-K under "Georgia Power – Nuclear Construction" for additional information. Mississippi Power Mississippi Power's effective tax rate was 14.0% for the six months ended June 30, 2019 compared to 18.7% for the corresponding period in 2018. The effective tax rate decrease was primarily due to an increase in the flowback of excess deferred income taxes as a result of a settlement agreement reached with wholesale customers under the MRA tariff. See Note (B) under "Mississippi Power" for additional information. Southern Power Southern Power's effective tax benefit rate was (35.5)% for the six months ended June 30, 2019 compared to (1,386.5)% for the corresponding period in 2018. The effective tax benefit rate decrease was primarily due to reductions of tax benefits from wind PTCs primarily as a result of the 2018 sale of the noncontrolling tax equity interest in SPC Wind and from changes in state apportionment rates following the reorganization of Southern Power's legal entities that own and operate certain solar facilities, partially offset by the net tax benefits from the sale of Plant Nacogdoches in 2019. See Note (K) and Note 15 to the financial statements in Item 8 of the Form 10-K under "Southern Power" for additional information. Southern Company Gas Southern Company Gas' effective tax rate was 18.0% for the six months ended June 30, 2019 compared to 39.1% for the corresponding period in 2018. This decrease was primarily related to an increase in the flowback of excess deferred income taxes in 2019, primarily at Atlanta Gas Light as previously authorized by the Georgia PSC, and the reversal of a federal tax valuation allowance in connection with Southern Company Gas' sale of its investment in Triton in 2019, as well as the tax impacts of the Southern Company Gas Dispositions in 2018. See Note (E) under "Southern Company Gas" and Notes 2 and 15 to the financial statements under "Southern Company Gas" in Item 8 of the Form 10-K for additional information.