SOUTHERN CO

States

The traditional electric operating companies and the natural gas distribution utilities are subject to the jurisdiction of their respective state PSCs or applicable state regulatory agencies. These regulatory bodies have broad powers of supervision and regulation over public utilities operating in the respective states, including their rates, service regulations, sales of securities (except for the Mississippi PSC), and, in the cases of the Georgia PSC and the Mississippi PSC, in part, retail service territories. See "Territory Served by the Southern Company System" and "Rate Matters" herein for additional information.

Federal Power Act

The traditional electric operating companies, Southern Power Company and certain of its generation subsidiaries, and SEGCO are all public utilities engaged in wholesale sales of energy in interstate commerce and, therefore, are subject to the rate, financial, and accounting jurisdiction of the FERC under the Federal Power Act. The FERC must approve certain financings and allows an "at cost standard" for services rendered by system service companies such as SCS and Southern Nuclear. The FERC is also authorized to establish regional reliability organizations which enforce reliability standards, address impediments to the construction of transmission, and prohibit manipulative energy trading practices.

Alabama Power and Georgia Power are also subject to the provisions of the Federal Power Act or the earlier Federal Water Power Act applicable to licensees with respect to their hydroelectric developments. As of December 31, 2023, among the hydroelectric projects subject to licensing by the FERC are 14 existing Alabama Power generating stations having an aggregate installed capacity of 1.7 million KWs and 17 existing Georgia Power generating stations and one generating station partially owned by Georgia Power, with a combined aggregate installed capacity of 1.1 million KWs.

In 2013, the FERC issued a new 30-year license to Alabama Power for Alabama Power's seven hydroelectric developments on the Coosa River (Weiss, Henry, Logan Martin, Lay, Mitchell, Jordan, and Bouldin). Alabama Power filed a petition requesting rehearing of the FERC order granting the relicense seeking revisions to several conditions of the license. In 2016, the FERC issued an order granting in part and denying in part Alabama Power's rehearing request. American Rivers and Alabama Rivers Alliance also filed multiple appeals of the FERC's 2013 order for the new 30-year license and, in 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the order and remanded the proceeding to the FERC. Alabama Power continues to operate the Coosa River developments under annual licenses issued by the FERC.

In 2021, Alabama Power filed an application with the FERC to relicense the Harris Dam project on the Tallapoosa River. The original Harris Dam project license expired on November 30, 2023 and, on December 13, 2023, the FERC issued an annual license for the continued operation of the Harris Dam project. The Harris Dam project will operate under annual licenses until a new long-term license is issued, which is expected by the first half of 2025.

In 2018, Georgia Power filed applications to surrender the Langdale and Riverview hydroelectric projects on the Chattahoochee River upon their license expirations on December 31, 2023. Although the projects are not operational, the closure of the projects is subject to the closure requirements to be enforced in accordance with future FERC surrender orders.

In 2021, Georgia Power filed an application with the FERC to relicense the Lloyd Shoals project on the Ocmulgee River. The current Lloyd Shoals project license expired on December 31, 2023. Subsequent to December 31, 2023, the FERC authorized Georgia Power to continue operation of the Lloyd Shoals project under the terms and conditions of the prior license until the issuance of a subsequent license.

Georgia Power and OPC also have a license, expiring in 2026, for the Rocky Mountain project, a pure pumped storage facility of 903,000 KW installed capacity. In 2021, OPC, as an agent for co-licensees of the project, filed a notice of intent with the FERC to relicense the project. An application to relicense the project is expected to be filed with the FERC by December 31, 2024. See PROPERTIES – "Electric – Jointly-Owned Facilities" in Item 2 herein for additional information.

Licenses for all projects, excluding those discussed above, expire in the years 2034-2066 for Alabama Power's projects and in the years 2034-2060 for Georgia Power's projects.

Upon or after the expiration of each license, the U.S. Government, by act of Congress, may take over the project or the FERC may relicense the project either to the original licensee or to a new licensee. In the event of takeover or relicensing to another, the original licensee is to be compensated in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Power Act, such compensation to reflect the net investment of the licensee in the project, not in excess of the fair value of the property, plus reasonable damages to other property of the licensee resulting from the severance therefrom of the property. The FERC may grant relicenses subject to certain requirements that could result in additional costs.

Nuclear Regulation

Alabama Power, Georgia Power, and Southern Nuclear are subject to regulation by the NRC. The NRC is responsible for licensing and regulating nuclear facilities and materials and for conducting research in support of the licensing and regulatory process, as mandated by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended; the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, as amended; and the Nuclear Nonproliferation Act of 1978, as amended; and in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and other applicable statutes. These responsibilities also include protecting public health and safety, protecting the environment, protecting and safeguarding nuclear materials and nuclear power plants in the interest of national security, and assuring conformity with antitrust laws.

The NRC licenses for Georgia Power's Plant Hatch Units 1 and 2 expire in 2034 and 2038, respectively. Southern Nuclear has notified the NRC of its intent in the third quarter 2025 to seek to renew the plant's licenses for an additional 20 years (through 2054 and 2058 for Units 1 and 2, respectively). The NRC licenses for Alabama Power's Plant Farley Units 1 and 2 expire in 2037 and 2041, respectively. The NRC licenses for Plant Vogtle Units 1, 2, 3, and 4 expire in 2047, 2049, 2062, and 2063, respectively. See Note 2 to the financial statements under "Georgia Power – Nuclear Construction" in Item 8 herein for additional information on Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4, including the projected in-service date for Unit 4.

See Notes 3 and 6 to the financial statements under "Nuclear Insurance" and "Nuclear Decommissioning," respectively, in Item 8 herein for additional information.

Environmental Laws and Regulations

See "Construction Programs" herein, MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS – FUTURE EARNINGS POTENTIAL – "Environmental Matters" in Item 7 herein, and Note 3 to the financial statements under "Environmental Remediation" and Note 6 to the financial statements in Item 8 herein for information concerning environmental laws and regulations impacting the Registrants.