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STOCK COMPENSATION | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2023
Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract] |
STOCK COMPENSATION | STOCK COMPENSATION Stock-based compensation primarily in the form of Southern Company performance share units (PSU) and restricted stock units (RSU) may be granted through the Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan to Southern Company system employees ranging from line management to executives. At December 31, 2023, the number of current and former employees participating in stock-based compensation programs for the Registrants was as follows:
| Southern Company | Alabama Power | Georgia Power | Mississippi Power | Southern Power | Southern Company Gas
Number of employees | 1,401 |  | 191 |  | 210 |  | 42 |  | 40 |  | 193 |
The majority of PSUs and RSUs awarded contain terms where employees become immediately vested in PSUs and RSUs upon retirement. As a result, compensation expense for employees that are retirement eligible at the grant date is recognized immediately, while compensation expense for employees that become retirement eligible during the vesting period is recognized over the period from grant date to the date of retirement eligibility. In addition, the Registrants recognize forfeitures as they occur. All unvested PSUs and RSUs vest immediately upon a change in control where Southern Company is not the surviving corporation. Performance Share Units PSUs granted to employees vest at the end of a three-year performance period. Shares of Southern Company common stock are delivered to employees at the end of the performance period with the number of shares issued ranging from 0% to 200% of the target number of PSUs granted, based on achievement of the performance goals established by the Compensation Committee of the Southern Company Board of Directors. Southern Company has issued two types of PSUs, each with a unique performance goal. These types of PSUs include total shareholder return (TSR) awards based on the TSR for Southern Company common stock during the three-year performance period as compared to a group of industry peers and ROE awards based on Southern Company's equity-weighted return over the performance period. The fair value of TSR awards is determined as of the grant date using a Monte Carlo simulation model. In determining the fair value of the TSR awards issued to employees, the expected volatility is based on the historical volatility of Southern Company's stock over a period equal to the performance period. The risk-free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant that covers the performance period of the awards. The following table shows the assumptions used in the pricing model and the weighted average grant-date fair value of TSR awards granted:
Year Ended December 31 | 2023 |  | 2022 |  | 2021
Expected volatility | 30.0% |  | 29.6% |  | 30.0%
Expected term (in years) | 3 |  | 3 |  | 3
Interest rate | 3.8% |  | 1.7% |  | 0.2%
Weighted average grant-date fair value | $76.83 |  | $79.69 |  | $69.06
The Registrants recognize TSR award compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the three-year performance period without remeasurement. The fair values of ROE awards are based on the closing stock price of Southern Company common stock on the date of the grant. The weighted average grant-date fair value of the ROE awards granted during 2023, 2022, and 2021 was $68.93, $66.87, and $59.49, respectively. Compensation expense for ROE awards is generally recognized ratably over the three-year performance period adjusted for expected changes in ROE performance. Total compensation cost recognized for vested ROE awards reflects final performance metrics. Southern Company had 2.4 million unvested PSUs outstanding at December 31, 2022. In February 2023, the PSUs that vested for the three-year performance period ended December 31, 2022 were converted into 1.8 million shares outstanding at a share price of $67.13. During 2023, Southern Company granted 1.3 million PSUs and 1.3 million PSUs were vested or forfeited, resulting in 2.4 million unvested PSUs outstanding at December 31, 2023. In February 2024, the PSUs that vested for the three-year performance period ended December 31, 2023 were converted into 2.3 million shares outstanding at a weighted average share price of $66.95. Total PSU compensation cost, and the related tax benefit recognized in income, for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 are as follows:
| 2023 |  | 2022 |  | 2021
| (in millions)
Southern Company |  |  |  |  |
Compensation cost recognized in income | $ | 107 |  |  | $ | 101 |  |  | $ | 112 |
Tax benefit of compensation cost recognized in income | 28 |  |  | 26 |  |  | 29 |
Southern Company Gas |  |  |  |  |
Compensation cost recognized in income | $ | 14 |  |  | $ | 12 |  |  | $ | 17 |
Tax benefit of compensation cost recognized in income | 4 |  |  | 4 |  |  | 4 |
Total PSU compensation cost and the related tax benefit recognized in income were immaterial for all periods presented for all other Registrants. The compensation cost related to the grant of Southern Company PSUs to the employees of each Subsidiary Registrant is recognized in each Subsidiary Registrant's financial statements with a corresponding credit to equity representing a capital contribution from Southern Company. At December 31, 2023, Southern Company's total unrecognized compensation cost related to PSUs was $32 million and is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 19 months. The total unrecognized compensation cost related to PSUs at December 31, 2023 was immaterial for all other Registrants. Restricted Stock Units The fair value of RSUs is based on the closing stock price of Southern Company common stock on the date of the grant. The weighted average grant-date fair values of RSUs granted during 2023, 2022, and 2021 were $68.95, $67.20, and $59.56, respectively. For most RSU awards, one-third of the RSUs vest each year throughout a three-year service period and compensation cost for RSUs is generally recognized over the corresponding one-, two-, or three-year vesting period. Shares of Southern Company common stock are delivered to employees at the end of each vesting period. Southern Company had 0.9 million RSUs outstanding at December 31, 2022. During 2023, Southern Company granted 0.5 million RSUs and 0.5 million RSUs were vested or forfeited, resulting in 0.9 million unvested RSUs outstanding at December 31, 2023, including RSUs related to employee retention agreements. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, Southern Company's total compensation cost for RSUs recognized in income was $30 million, $26 million, and $32 million, respectively. The related tax benefit also recognized in income was $8 million, $7 million, and $8 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. Total unrecognized compensation cost related to RSUs at December 31, 2023, which is being recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 17 months, is immaterial for Southern Company. Total RSUs outstanding and total compensation cost and related tax benefit for the RSUs recognized in income for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, as well as the total unrecognized compensation cost at December 31, 2023, were immaterial for all other Registrants. The compensation cost related to the grant of Southern Company RSUs to the employees of each Subsidiary Registrant is recognized in such Subsidiary Registrant's financial statements with a corresponding credit to equity representing a capital contribution from Southern Company. Stock Options In 2015, Southern Company discontinued granting stock options. As of December 31, 2017, all stock option awards were vested and compensation cost fully recognized. Stock options expire no later than 10 years after the grant date and the latest possible exercise will occur by November 2024. At December 31, 2023, the weighted average remaining contractual term for the options outstanding and exercisable was approximately 2 months. Southern Company's activity in the stock option program for 2023 is summarized below:
| Shares Subject to Option |  | Weighted Average Exercise Price
| (in millions) |  |
Outstanding at December 31, 2022 | 1.0 |  |  | $ | 42.22 |
Exercised | 0.7 |  |  | 42.54 |
Outstanding and Exercisable at December 31, 2023 | 0.3 |  |  | $ | 41.58 |
Southern Company's cash receipts from issuances related to stock options exercised under the share-based payment arrangements for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 were $28 million, $75 million, and $66 million, respectively. At December 31, 2023, the aggregate intrinsic value for options outstanding and exercisable was immaterial for all Registrants. Total intrinsic value of options exercised, and the related tax benefit, for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 are presented below for Southern Company and were immaterial for all other Registrants:
Year Ended December 31 | 2023 |  | 2022 |  | 2021
| (in millions)
Southern Company |  |  |  |  |
Intrinsic value of options exercised | $ | 18 |  |  | $ | 49 |  |  | $ | 34 |
Tax benefit of options exercised | 4 |  |  | 12 |  |  | 7 |

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