INTRODUCTION - Asset Retirement Obligations (Details) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($)
Asset Retirement Obligation, Roll Forward Analysis [Roll Forward]
Balance at December 31, 2019	$ 9,786
Liabilities incurred	15
Liabilities settled	(315)
Accretion	308
Cash flow revisions	866
Balance at September 30, 2020	10,660
ALABAMA POWER CO
Asset Retirement Obligation, Roll Forward Analysis [Roll Forward]
Balance at December 31, 2019	3,540
Liabilities incurred	0
Liabilities settled	(157)
Accretion	113
Cash flow revisions	462
Balance at September 30, 2020	3,958
GEORGIA POWER CO
Asset Retirement Obligation, Roll Forward Analysis [Roll Forward]
Balance at December 31, 2019	5,784
Liabilities incurred	10
Liabilities settled	(130)
Accretion	177
Cash flow revisions	411
Balance at September 30, 2020	$ 6,252

The carrying amount of a liability for an asset retirement obligation. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees.

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- Definition

Amount of accretion expense recognized during the period that is associated with an asset retirement obligation. Accretion expense measures and incorporates changes due to the passage of time into the carrying amount of the liability.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392676&loc=d3e7480-110848

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Amount of asset retirement obligations incurred during the period.

+ References

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Amount of asset retirement obligations settled, or otherwise disposed of, during the period. This may include asset retirement obligations transferred to third parties associated with the sale of a long-lived asset.

+ References

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Amount of increase (decrease) in the asset retirement obligation from changes in the amount or timing of the estimated cash flows associated with the settlement of the obligation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 35
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392603&loc=d3e7123-110846

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849

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- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

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