<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-24
<SEQUENCE>6
<FILENAME>x24.txt
<TEXT>
                                                                      Exhibit 24


October 20, 2003


H. Allen Franklin, Thomas A. Fanning, Tommy Chisholm and Wayne Boston


Dear Sirs:

         The Southern Company proposes to file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission a registration statement or statements under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, with respect to the issuance and sale of additional shares of
its common stock pursuant to and in accordance with The Southern Company
Employee Savings Plan, in an amount not to exceed 20,000,000 shares.
         The Southern Company and the undersigned directors and officers of The
Southern Company, individually as a director and/or as an officer of The
Southern Company, hereby make, constitute and appoint each of you our true and
lawful Attorney for each of us and in each of our names, places and steads to
sign and cause to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in
connection with the foregoing such registration statement or statements and
appropriate amendment or amendments (including post-effective amendments)
thereto.
                                     Yours very truly,

                                     THE SOUTHERN COMPANY


                                     By /s/H. Allen Franklin
                                          H. Allen Franklin
                                      Chairman, President and
                                      Chief Executive Officer



<PAGE>


                                      - 2 -



________________                                     /s/J. Neal Purcell
         Daniel P. Amos                                J. Neal Purcell



________________                                    /s/Gerald J. St. Pe'
         Dorrit J. Bern                               Gerald J. St. Pe'



      /s/Thomas F. Chapman                        /s/G. Edison Holland, Jr.
       Thomas F. Chapman                            G. Edison Holland, Jr.



      /s/H. Allen Franklin                            /s/Thomas A. Fanning
       H. Allen Franklin                                Thomas A. Fanning



       /s/Bruce S. Gordon                             /s/Tommy Chisholm
        Bruce S. Gordon                                 Tommy Chisholm



       /s/Donald M. James                             /s/W. Dean Hudson
        Donald M. James                                 W. Dean Hudson



        /s/Zack T. Pate
          Zack T. Pate


<PAGE>

                                       -3-

Extract from minutes of meeting of the board of directors of The Southern
Company.

                             - - - - - - - - - - - -

         RESOLVED FURTHER: That for the purpose of signing the registration
         statement or statements under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
         to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to
         the issuance and sale by the Company of additional shares of its common
         stock under the Employee Savings Plan and of remedying any deficiencies
         with respect thereto by appropriate amendment or amendments (including
         post-effective amendments), the Company, the members of its board of
         directors and its officers are authorized to give their several powers
         of attorney to H. Allen Franklin, Thomas A. Fanning, Tommy Chisholm and
         Wayne Boston;

                             - - - - - - - - - - - -

         The undersigned officer of The Southern Company does hereby certify
that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of a resolution duly and regularly
adopted at a meeting of the board of directors of The Southern Company, duly
held on October 20, 2003, at which a quorum was in attendance and voting
throughout, and that said resolution has not since been rescinded but is still
in full force and effect.


Dated:  November 17, 2003                     THE SOUTHERN COMPANY


                                             By /s/Tommy Chisholm
                                                 Tommy Chisholm
                                                   Secretary




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