CONTINGENCIES, COMMITMENTS, AND GUARANTEES (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of regulatory assets and liabilities

At December 31, 2020 and 2019, the environmental remediation liability and the balance of under recovered environmental remediation costs were reflected in the balance sheets as follows:

	Southern Company		Georgia Power		Southern Company Gas
	(in millions)
December 31, 2020:
Environmental remediation liability:
Other current liabilities	$	44	$	15	$	29
Accrued environmental remediation	216		—		216
Under recovered environmental remediation costs:
Other regulatory assets, current	$	46	$	12	$	34
Other regulatory assets, deferred	265		29		236
December 31, 2019:
Environmental remediation liability:
Other current liabilities	$	51	$	15	$	36
Accrued environmental remediation	234		—		233
Under recovered environmental remediation costs:
Other regulatory assets, current	$	49	$	12	$	37
Other regulatory assets, deferred	300		40		260

Expected future contractual obligations

Southern Company Gas' expected future contractual obligations for pipeline charges, storage capacity, and gas supply that are not recognized on the balance sheets at December 31, 2020 were as follows:

	Pipeline Charges, Storage Capacity, and Gas Supply
	(in millions)
2021	$	719
2022	529
2023	441
2024	311
2025	285
Thereafter	1,035
Total	$	3,320