<SEC-DOCUMENT>0000092122-24-000048.txt : 20240503
<SEC-HEADER>0000092122-24-000048.hdr.sgml : 20240503
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20240503141007
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0000092122-24-000048
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	S-8
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		7
FILED AS OF DATE:		20240503
DATE AS OF CHANGE:		20240503
EFFECTIVENESS DATE:		20240503

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			SOUTHERN CO
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000092122
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	ELECTRIC SERVICES [4911]
		ORGANIZATION NAME:           	01 Energy & Transportation
		IRS NUMBER:				580690070
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		S-8
		SEC ACT:		1933 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	333-279103
		FILM NUMBER:		24912290

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		30 IVAN ALLEN JR. BLVD., N.W.
		CITY:			ATLANTA
		STATE:			GA
		ZIP:			30308
		BUSINESS PHONE:		4045065000

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		30 IVAN ALLEN JR. BLVD., N.W.
		CITY:			ATLANTA
		STATE:			GA
		ZIP:			30308
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>S-8
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>esps-8x2024.htm
<DESCRIPTION>S-8
<TEXT>
<html><head>
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<title>Document</title></head><body><div id="if480701845ba4253b3356f7a5b2207f7_1"></div><div style="min-height:42.75pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 3, 2024</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Registration No. 333-</font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:100.000%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:98.900%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr style="height:5pt"><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:2pt solid #000000;padding:0 1pt"></td></tr></table></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">UNITED STATES</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:9pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Washington, D.C.  20549</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:9pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">FORM S-8</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:9pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">The Southern Company</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt;text-align:center"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:100.000%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:49.719%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:48.081%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="margin-top:6pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Delaware</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(State or other jurisdiction of</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">incorporation or organization)</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="margin-top:6pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">58-0690070</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="margin-top:6pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">30 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard, N.W.</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Atlanta, Georgia</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(Address of principal executive offices) </font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="margin-top:6pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">30308</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(Zip Code)</font></div></td></tr></table></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">THE SOUTHERN COMPANY EMPLOYEE SAVINGS PLAN</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(Full title of the plan)</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">MELISSA K. CAEN,</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:700;line-height:120%"> ASSISTANT SECRETARY</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">THE SOUTHERN COMPANY</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">30 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard, N.W.</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Atlanta, Georgia 30308</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(Name and address of agent for service)</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(404) 506-5000</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">The Commission is requested to mail signed copies of all orders, notices and communications to&#58;</font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt;padding-left:6.75pt"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:98.879%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:48.900%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:48.900%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="margin-top:5pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">DANIEL S. TUCKER</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">THE SOUTHERN COMPANY</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">30 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard, N.W.</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:3pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Atlanta, Georgia 30308</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="margin-top:5pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">ERIC A. KOONTZ</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">TROUTMAN PEPPER HAMILTON SANDERS LLP</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">600 Peachtree Street, N.E.</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Suite 3000</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:3pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Atlanta, Georgia 30308-2216</font></div></td></tr></table></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-indent:18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of &#8220;large accelerated filer,&#8221; &#8220;accelerated filer,&#8221; &#8220;smaller reporting company,&#8221; and &#8220;emerging growth company&#8221; in Rule&#160;12b-2 of the Exchange Act.</font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:534.75pt"><tr><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:97.00pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:280.75pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:151.00pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:12pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Large accelerated filer&#160;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Wingdings',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">x</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#160;</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Accelerated filer&#160;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Wingdings',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">o</font></div></td></tr><tr style="height:12pt"><td colspan="6" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Non-accelerated filer&#160;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Wingdings',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">o</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Smaller reporting company&#160;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Wingdings',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">o</font></div></td></tr><tr style="height:12pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Emerging growth company&#160;&#160;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Wingdings',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">o</font></div></td></tr></table></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-indent:18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.&#160;&#160;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Wingdings',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">o</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="height:42.75pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div><div id="if480701845ba4253b3356f7a5b2207f7_4"></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:54pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="-sec-extract:summary;margin-bottom:10pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">EXPLANATORY NOTE</font></div><div style="margin-top:6pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;The Southern Company (&#8220;Southern Company,&#8221; the &#8220;Company&#8221; or the &#8220;registrant&#8221;) filed a registration statement on February 28, 2012 (File No. 333-179779) (the &#8220;Original Registration Statement&#8221;) to register under the Securities Act 30,000,000 shares of the Company&#8217;s Common Stock, par value $5 per share (the &#8220;Common Stock&#8221;), related to The Southern Company Employee Savings Plan (the &#8220;Plan&#8221;). The Company filed additional registration statements on November 23, 2015 and February 25, 2019 (File No. 333-208173 and File No. 333-229841, respectively) each to register an additional 35,000,000 shares of Common Stock (such additional registration statements, together with the Original Registration Statement, the &#8220;Prior Registration Statements&#8221;). The Company is filing this registration statement on Form S-8 pursuant to and in accordance with General Instruction E of Form S-8 to register an additional 35,000,000 shares of Common Stock related to the Plan. </font></div><div style="margin-bottom:9pt;margin-top:9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">PART II&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Item 3.&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Incorporation of Documents by Reference.</font></div><div style="margin-top:6pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;The contents of the Prior Registration Statements are incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement.  In addition, the documents listed below are incorporated by reference in this registration statement&#59; and all documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections&#160;13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the &#8220;Exchange Act&#8221;), prior to the filing of a post&#8209;effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents&#59; provided however, the registrant is not incorporating any information filed under Item 2.02 or 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K unless specifically stated otherwise.</font></div><div style="margin-top:11pt;padding-left:108pt;text-indent:-108pt"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:468.00pt"><tr><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:49.75pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:21.25pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:22.00pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:28.00pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:337.00pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:27pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(a)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(1)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">The registrant&#8217;s Annual Report on </font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/92122/000009212224000009/so-20231231.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Form 10&#8209;K for the year ended December 31, </a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/92122/000009212224000009/so-20231231.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">2023</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">.</font></div></td></tr><tr style="height:27pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(2)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">The Plan&#8217;s Annual Report on </font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/92122/000009212223000060/a2022form11-k.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Form 11-K for the year ended December 31, </a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/92122/000009212223000060/a2022form11-k.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">2022</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">.</font></div></td></tr><tr style="height:29pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(b)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">The registrant&#8217;s Quarterly Report on </font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/92122/000009212224000042/so-20240331.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Form 10-</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/92122/000009212224000042/so-20240331.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Q for the quarter ended </a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/92122/000009212224000042/so-20240331.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">March 31, 2024</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">.</font></div></td></tr><tr style="height:44pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(c)</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="margin-top:7pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">The registrant&#8217;s Current Reports on Form 8-K dated</font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000092122/000009212224000003/so-20240201.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"> </a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000092122/000009212224000003/so-20240201.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">February 1, 2024</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">, </font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000092122/000009212224000034/so-20240226.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">February 26, 2024</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%"> and </font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/92122/000009212224000039/so-20240429.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">April 29, 2024</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%"> and Current Report on </font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/92122/000009212224000005/so-20231016.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Form 8-K&#47;A dated October 16, 2023 (filed on February 6,&#160;2024</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">).</font></div></td></tr><tr style="height:75pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(d)</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x4a3-q42022sodescriptionof.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">The description of the registrant&#8217;s Common Stock contained </a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x4a3-q42022sodescriptionof.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">in </a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x4a3-q42022sodescriptionof.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Exhibit 4(a)3 to the registran</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x4a3-q42022sodescriptionof.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">t</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x4a3-q42022sodescriptionof.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">&#8217;</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x4a3-q42022sodescriptionof.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">s Annual Report on </a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x4a3-q42022sodescriptionof.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Form 10-K for t</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x4a3-q42022sodescriptionof.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">h</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x4a3-q42022sodescriptionof.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">e </a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x4a3-q42022sodescriptionof.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"> </a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x4a3-q42022sodescriptionof.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">year ended December</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x4a3-q42022sodescriptionof.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"> 31, 2022</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x4a3-q42022sodescriptionof.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">,</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x4a3-q42022sodescriptionof.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"> including any amendment or report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Exchange Act for the purpose of updating the description.</a></font></div></td></tr></table></div><div style="margin-top:6pt;text-indent:24.75pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this registration statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or </font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="-sec-extract:summary;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">II-1</font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:54pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="margin-top:6pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this registration statement.</font></div><div style="margin-top:9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Item 8.&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Exhibits. </font></div><div style="margin-top:11pt"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:467.25pt"><tr><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:43.75pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:16.75pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:400.75pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:27pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Exhibit<br>Number</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:39pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">4.1</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">-</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Southern Company, dated February 12, 2019. (Designated in </font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212219000006/ex3a1_2018x10k.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, File No. 1-3526, as Exhibit 3(a)1</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">.)</font></div></td></tr><tr style="height:39pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">4.2</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">-</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Amended and Restated By-laws of Southern Company effective December 12, 2022, and as presently in effect. (Designated in </font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/92122/000009212222000071/ex3-1sobylaw8xk.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Form </a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/92122/000009212222000071/ex3-1sobylaw8xk.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">8-K dated December 12, 2022, File No. 1-3526, as Exhibit </a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/92122/000009212222000071/ex3-1sobylaw8xk.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">3.1</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">)</font></div></td></tr><tr style="height:219pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">4.3</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">-</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="margin-bottom:2pt;padding-right:2.25pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">The Southern Company Employee Savings Plan, Amended and Restated Effective January 1, 2018, First Amendment thereto dated December 7, 2018, Second Amendment thereto dated January 29, 2019, Third Amendment thereto dated December 4, 2019, Fourth Amendment thereto dated November 27, 2020, Fifth Amendment thereto effective July 1, 2021, Sixth Amendment thereto effective July 1, 2021, Seventh Amendment thereto dated December 23, 2022 and Eighth Amendment thereto dated December 13, 2023 (Designated in </font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/92122/000009212218000003/x4-3sos8pos1x18amrestatede.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Form S-8 filed January 17, 2018, File No. 333-212783, as Exhibit 4.3</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">, in </font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212220000017/x10a25-q42019.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, File No. 1-3526, as Exhibit 10(a)25</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">, in </font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212220000017/x10a26-q42019.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, File No. 1-352</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212220000017/x10a26-q42019.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">6</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212220000017/x10a26-q42019.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">, as Exhibit 10(a)26</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">, in </font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212220000017/x10a27-q42019.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, File No. 1-3526, as Exhibit 10(a)2</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212220000017/x10a27-q42019.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">7</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">, in </font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212221000006/x10a26-q420204thamesp.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 20</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212221000006/x10a26-q420204thamesp.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">20</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212221000006/x10a26-q420204thamesp.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">, File No. 1-3526, as Exhibit 10(a)26</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">, in </font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212222000014/x10a2-q12022.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Form 10-</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212222000014/x10a2-q12022.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Q</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212222000014/x10a2-q12022.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"> for the </a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212222000014/x10a2-q12022.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">quarter</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212222000014/x10a2-q12022.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"> ended </a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212222000014/x10a2-q12022.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">March </a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212222000014/x10a2-q12022.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">31, 20</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212222000014/x10a2-q12022.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">2</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212222000014/x10a2-q12022.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">2</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212222000014/x10a2-q12022.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">, File No. 1-3526, as Exhibit 10(a)2</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">, in </font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212222000014/x10a3-q12022.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, File No. 1-3526, as Exhibit 10(a)</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212222000014/x10a3-q12022.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">3</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">, in </font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x10a17-q42022ax7thamendesp.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Form</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x10a17-q42022ax7thamendesp.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"> </a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x10a17-q42022ax7thamendesp.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">10-K for the year ended December 31, 202</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x10a17-q42022ax7thamendesp.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">2</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x10a17-q42022ax7thamendesp.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">, File No. 1-3526, as Exhibit 10(a)</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212223000012/x10a17-q42022ax7thamendesp.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">17</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">, and in </font><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212224000009/ex10a-17eighthamendmentto2.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 202</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212224000009/ex10a-17eighthamendmentto2.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">3</a><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/3153/000009212224000009/ex10a-17eighthamendmentto2.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">, File No. 1-3526, as Exhibit 10(a)17</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">.)</font></div></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">5.1</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">-</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="ex5-1sosx8esptroutmanopini.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Opinion of Troutman </a><a href="ex5-1sosx8esptroutmanopini.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Pepp</a><a href="ex5-1sosx8esptroutmanopini.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">er Hamilton </a><a href="ex5-1sosx8esptroutmanopini.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Sanders LLP, counsel to the Company</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">.</font></div></td></tr><tr style="height:26pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">23.1</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">-</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Consent of Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1 above).</font></div></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">23.2</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">-</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="margin-bottom:2pt;padding-right:2.25pt"><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="x23-2xespsx82024xdtconsent.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Consent of Deloitte &#38; Touche LLP.</a></font></div></td></tr><tr style="height:27pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">23.3</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">-</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="margin-bottom:2pt;padding-right:2.25pt"><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="ex23-3sx8waconsent.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Consent of Warren Averett, LLC related to The Southern Company Employee Savings Plan.</a></font></div></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">24.1</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">-</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="ex24-1espsx8poa2024.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Power of Attorney and Resolution</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">.</font></div></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">107.1</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">-</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="ex107soesps-82024.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">Filing </a><a href="ex107soesps-82024.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">F</a><a href="ex107soesps-82024.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">ee Table</a></font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">.</font></div></td></tr></table></div><div style="margin-top:6pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Exhibits listed above which have previously been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and which were designated as noted above are incorporated herein by reference.</font></div><div style="margin-top:6pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;In lieu of the opinion of counsel or determination letter contemplated by Item 601(b)(5)(ii) of Regulation S-K, the Company hereby undertakes that the Plan and any amendments thereto have been submitted to the Internal Revenue Service (the &#8220;IRS&#8221;) to the extent required in a timely manner and all changes required by the IRS have been made in order to qualify the Plan under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.</font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="-sec-extract:summary;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">II-2</font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:54pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="margin-top:9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Item 9.&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Undertakings.</font></div><div style="margin-top:9pt;text-indent:24.75pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(a)&#160;Undertaking related to Rule&#160;415 offering&#58;</font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt;text-indent:49.5pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes&#58;</font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt;text-indent:72pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(1)&#160;To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement&#58;</font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt;text-indent:103.5pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(i)&#160;To include any prospectus required by Section&#160;10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933&#59;</font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt;text-indent:103.5pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(ii)&#160;To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule&#160;424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the &#8220;Calculation of Filing Fee Tables&#8221; or &#8220;Calculation of Registration Fee&#8221; table, as applicable, in the effective registration statement&#59;</font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt;text-indent:103.5pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(iii)&#160;To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement&#59;</font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt;text-indent:49.5pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Provided, however</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-8 and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the&#160;registrant pursuant to section 13 or&#160;section 15(d) of&#160;the&#160;Securities Exchange Act of 1934&#160; that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.</font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt;text-indent:72pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(2)&#160;That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">bona fide</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> offering thereof.</font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt;text-indent:72pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(3)&#160;To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.</font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt;text-indent:24.75pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(b)&#160;Undertaking related to filings incorporating subsequent Securities Exchange Act of 1934 documents by reference&#58;</font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt;text-indent:49.5pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant&#8217;s annual report pursuant to Section&#160;13(a) or Section&#160;15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and each filing of the Plan&#8217;s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">bona fide</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> offering thereof.</font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="-sec-extract:summary;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">II-3</font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:54pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="margin-top:5pt;text-indent:24.75pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(c)&#160;Undertaking relating to filing of registration statement on Form S-8&#58;  </font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt;text-indent:24.75pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="-sec-extract:summary;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">II-4</font></div></div></div><div id="if480701845ba4253b3356f7a5b2207f7_7"></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:13.5pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">SIGNATURES</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:6pt;text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">The Registrant</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, The Southern Company certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S&#8209;8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Atlanta, State of Georgia, on May 3, 2024.</font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:99.839%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:53.635%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:4.839%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:38.226%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="6" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">THE SOUTHERN COMPANY</font></td></tr><tr style="height:14pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">By&#58;</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Christopher C. Womack</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Chairman, President and<br>Chief Executive Officer</font></td></tr><tr style="height:9pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">By&#58;</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;Melissa K. Caen</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Melissa K. Caen<br>Attorney-in-Fact</font></td></tr></table></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:100.000%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:34.797%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:3.226%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:32.233%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:25.344%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">SIGNATURE</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">TITLE</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">DATE</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Christopher C. Womack</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director<br>(Principal Executive Officer)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:6pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Daniel S. Tucker</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Executive Vice President and<br>Chief Financial Officer<br>(Principal Financial Officer)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:6pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">David P. Poroch</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Comptroller and Chief Accounting Officer <br>(Principal Accounting Officer)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr></table></div><div><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:100.000%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:25.983%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:12.201%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:23.900%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:33.516%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Janaki Akella</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Henry A. Clark III</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Shantella E. Cooper</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Anthony F. Earley, Jr.</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">David J. Grain</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Donald M. James</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">John D. Johns</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Dale E. Klein</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">David E. Meador</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Ernest J. Moniz</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">William G. Smith, Jr.</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Kristine L. Svinicki</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Lizanne Thomas</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">E. Jenner Wood III</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"><div style="text-align:justify"><img alt="directorbracketfors3sa12a.jpg" src="directorbracketfors3sa12a.jpg" style="height:240px;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:13px"></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Directors</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr></table></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:100.000%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:5.310%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:28.226%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:34.637%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:22.778%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:3.549%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">By&#58;</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;Melissa K. Caen</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:right;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">May 3, 2024</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Melissa K. Caen<br>Attorney-in-Fact</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr></table></div><div style="height:45pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">II-5</font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:13.5pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">The Plan</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">.  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the trustees (or other persons who administer the employee benefit plan) have duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Atlanta, State of Georgia, on May 3, 2024.</font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:468.75pt"><tr><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:231.25pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:24.25pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td><td style="width:207.25pt"></td><td style="width:1.0pt"></td></tr><tr style="height:51pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="6" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">THE SOUTHERN COMPANY EMPLOYEE SAVINGS PLAN<br></font><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%"><br></font></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">By&#58;</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;James M. Garvie</font></td></tr><tr style="height:63pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">James M. Garvie</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Senior Vice President, Total Rewards and HR Technology and Chairman of the Southern Company Benefits Administration Committee</font></div></td></tr></table></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="height:45pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">II-6</font></div></div></div></body></html>
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<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-5.1
<SEQUENCE>2
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<DESCRIPTION>EX-5.1
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<title>Document</title></head><body><div id="i732d329a1ddb43bd9e3dd3a068ead92b_1"></div><div style="min-height:15.75pt;width:100%"><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:72pt"><font><br></font></div></div><div style="text-align:right"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">Exhibit 5.1</font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">&#91;Letterhead of Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP&#93;</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">May 3, 2024</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:12pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">The Southern Company</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">30 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., N.W.</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">Atlanta, Georgia 30308</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-indent:49.5pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">Re&#58;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">  </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">Registration Statement on Form S-8</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">Ladies and Gentlemen&#58;</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:49.5pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">We have acted as counsel to The Southern Company, a Delaware corporation (the &#8220;Company&#8221;), in connection with the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the &#8220;Commission&#8221;) of a registration statement on Form S-8 (the &#8220;Registration Statement&#8221;) relating to the registration pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the &#8220;Securities Act&#8221;), of 35,000,000 shares (the &#8220;Shares&#8221;) of the Company&#8217;s common stock, par value $5 per share, for issuance pursuant to The Southern Company Employee Savings Plan (the &#8220;Plan&#8221;). This opinion is being provided at your request for inclusion in the Registration Statement. </font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">In rendering this opinion, we have examined the Registration Statement and copies of the Company&#8217;s Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated By-laws each as certified to us by an officer of the Company. We also have reviewed minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors of the Company relating to the issuance and sale of the Shares and such other documents as we have deemed necessary for purposes of this opinion. In such examinations, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures on all original documents, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to the original documents of all copies submitted to us, the authenticity of the originals of documents submitted to us as copies and the due execution and delivery of all documents where due execution and delivery are prerequisite to the effectiveness thereof.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">Based upon the foregoing examination, we are of the opinion that, subject to compliance with the pertinent provisions of the Securities Act and to compliance with such securities or &#8220;Blue Sky&#8221; laws of any jurisdiction as may be applicable, when the Shares have been issued against the payment of consideration therefor in accordance with the terms of the Plan, the Shares will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. </font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">In expressing the opinions set forth above, we are not passing on the laws of any jurisdiction other than the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the Federal law of the United States of America.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving the foregoing consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose </font></div><div style="height:20.25pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:15.75pt;width:100%"><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:72pt"><font><br></font></div></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">May 3, 2024</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Page 2</font></div><div style="text-align:right"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:right"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. </font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">This opinion may not be relied upon, furnished or quoted by you for any other purpose, without our prior written consent.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-top:6pt;text-indent:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:211.5pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Very truly yours,</font></div><div style="padding-left:211.5pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:211.5pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#47;s&#47; Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP</font></div><div style="padding-left:211.5pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="height:20.25pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div></body></html>
</TEXT>
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<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-23.2
<SEQUENCE>3
<FILENAME>x23-2xespsx82024xdtconsent.htm
<DESCRIPTION>EX-23.2
<TEXT>
<html><head>
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<title>Document</title></head><body><div id="i2179523f3f864cb9846405e897fd5fb3_1"></div><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="text-align:right"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Exhibit 23.2</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:0.05pt;margin-top:0.05pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:0.05pt;margin-top:0.05pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:0.05pt;margin-top:0.05pt"><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated February 14, 2024 relating to the consolidated financial statements and consolidated financial statement schedule of The Southern Company and Subsidiary Companies, and the effectiveness of The Southern Company and Subsidiary Companies&#8217; internal control over financial reporting, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of The Southern Company for the year ended December 31, 2023.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#47;s&#47; Deloitte &#38; Touche LLP</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:0.05pt;margin-top:0.05pt"><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Atlanta, Georgia<br>May 3, 2024</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div></body></html>
</TEXT>
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<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-23.3
<SEQUENCE>4
<FILENAME>ex23-3sx8waconsent.htm
<DESCRIPTION>EX-23.3
<TEXT>
<html><head>
<!-- Document created using Wdesk -->
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<title>Document</title></head><body><div id="iac9a449beb9c4229a86d34cd311b7365_1"></div><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="margin-bottom:12pt;text-align:right"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:125%">Exhibit 23.3</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:12pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:12pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;line-height:125%">CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:12pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:12pt;text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:125%">We consent to the incorporation by reference in this registration statement on Form S-8 of our report dated June 28, 2023, with respect to the statements of net assets available for plan benefits of The Southern Company Employee Savings Plan as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the related statement of changes in net assets available for plan benefits for the year ended December 31, 2022, and the supplemental schedule H, Line 4i - Schedule of Assets (Held at End of Year) as of December 31, 2022, which appears in the December 31, 2022 Annual Report on Form 11-K of The Southern Company Employee Savings Plan.</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:8pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:125%">&#47;s&#47;Warren Averett, LLC</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:8pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:125%">May 3, 2024</font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div></body></html>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-24.1
<SEQUENCE>5
<FILENAME>ex24-1espsx8poa2024.htm
<DESCRIPTION>EX-24.1
<TEXT>
<html><head>
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<title>Document</title></head><body><div id="id453b5f994484cb2bd0de813efa3821e_1"></div><div style="min-height:40.32pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="text-align:right"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Exhibit 24.1</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">April 22, 2024</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Christopher C. Womack, Daniel S. Tucker and Melissa K. Caen</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:12pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Gentlemen and Ms. Caen&#58;</font></div><div style="margin-top:9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;The Southern Company (the &#8220;Company&#8221;) proposes to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission a registration statement or statements under the Securities</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to the issuance and sale by the Company of additional shares of its common stock under</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">The Southern Company Employee Savings Plan, in an amount not to exceed 35,000,000 shares, and any necessary or appropriate amendments (including post-e</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">f</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">fective amendments) to such registration statement or statements.</font></div><div style="margin-top:9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;The Company and the undersigned directors and o</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">f</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">ficers of the Compan</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">y</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">, individually as a director and&#47;or as an o</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">f</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">ficer of the Compan</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">y</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">, hereby make, constitute and appoint each of you our true and lawful</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Attorney (with full power of substitution) 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 the aforementioned registration statement or statements and any necessary or appropriate amendment or amendments (including post-e</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">f</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">fective amendments) thereto and any necessary exhibits.</font></div><div style="margin-top:9pt;text-indent:41pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">The Company hereby authorizes you or any one of you to execute said registration statement or statements and any amendments (including post-e</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">f</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">fective amendments) thereto on its behalf as attorney-in-fact for it and its authorized o</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">f</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">ficers, and to file the same as aforesaid.</font></div><div style="margin-top:9pt;text-indent:41pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">The undersigned directors and o</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">f</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">ficers of the Company hereby authorize you or any of you to sign said registration statement or statements on their behalf as attorney-in-fact and any necessary or appropriate amendment or amendments (including post-e</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">f</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">fective amendments) thereto and to file the same as aforesaid.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:95.512%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:51.584%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:4.940%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:40.176%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="6" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:2.75pt;padding-right:2.75pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Yours very truly,</font></div><div style="padding-left:2.75pt;padding-right:2.75pt"><font><br></font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="6" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:2.75pt;padding-right:2.75pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">THE SOUTHERN COMPANY</font></div><div style="padding-left:2.75pt;padding-right:2.75pt"><font><br></font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt 2px 3.77pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">By</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;Christopher C. Womack</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:1.37pt;padding-right:1.37pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Christopher C. Womack</font></div><div style="padding-left:1.37pt;padding-right:1.37pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#160;Chairman, President and</font></div><div style="padding-left:1.37pt;padding-right:1.37pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Chief Executive Officer</font></div></td></tr></table></div><div style="height:23.76pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div><div id="id453b5f994484cb2bd0de813efa3821e_4"></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:45.36pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:100.000%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:44.252%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:8.194%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:44.254%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;Janaki Akella</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;Ernest J. Moniz</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Janaki Akella</font></div><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:15.35pt;padding-right:15.35pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Ernest J. Moniz</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;Henry A. Clark III</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;William G. Smith, Jr</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Henry A. Clark III<br></font><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%"><br></font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">William G. Smith, Jr.</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;Shantella E. Cooper</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;Kristine L. Svinicki</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Shantella E. Cooper<br></font><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%"><br></font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Kristine L. Svinicki<br></font><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%"><br></font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;Anthony F. Earley, Jr.</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;Lizanne Thomas</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Anthony F. Earley, Jr.</font></div><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:15.35pt;padding-right:15.35pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Lizanne Thomas</font></div><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:15.35pt;padding-right:15.35pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;David J. Grain</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#ffffff;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;Christopher C. Womack</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">David J. Grain</font></div><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:15.35pt;padding-right:15.35pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Christopher C. Womack</font></div><div style="padding-left:15.35pt;padding-right:15.35pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;Donald M. James</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;E. Jenner Wood III</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Donald M. James</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">E. Jenner Wood III</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;John D. Johns</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;Daniel S. Tucker</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">John D. Johns</font></div><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:15.35pt;padding-right:15.35pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Daniel S. Tucker</font></div><div style="padding-left:15.35pt;padding-right:15.35pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;Dale E. Klein<br></font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;David P. Poroch</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Dale E. Klein</font></div><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:15.35pt;padding-right:15.35pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">David P. Poroch</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;David E. Meador</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">David E. Meador</font></div><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:15.35pt;padding-right:15.35pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"><div style="padding-left:7.67pt;padding-right:7.67pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></td></tr></table></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:45.36pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Extract from minutes of meeting of the board of directors of The Southern Company.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">- - - - - - - - - - - -</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;RESOLVED FURTHER&#58;  That for the purpose of signing the registration statement or statements under the Securities</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%"> </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">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 Common Stock under the Employee Savings Plan and any amendment or amendments (including post-e</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">f</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">fective amendments) thereto, the Compan</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">y</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">, the members of its Board of Directors and its o</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">f</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">ficers are hereby authorized to give their several powers of attorney to Christopher C. Womack, Daniel S. Tucker and Melissa K. Caen&#59;</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">- - - - - - - - - - - -</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;The undersigned o</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">f</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">ficer of</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%"> </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">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</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%"> </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">The Southern Compan</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">y</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">, duly held on April </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">22</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">, 2024, 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 e</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">f</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:13pt;font-weight:400;line-height:104%">fect.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:100.000%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:50.502%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:4.188%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:42.010%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">Dated&#58; May 3, 2024</font></td><td colspan="6" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">THE SOUTHERN COMPANY<br></font><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%"><br></font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">By</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47;Melissa K. Caen</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">Melissa K. Caen<br>Assistant Secretary</font></td></tr></table></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div></body></html>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-FILING FEES
<SEQUENCE>6
<FILENAME>ex107soesps-82024.htm
<DESCRIPTION>EX-FILING FEES
<TEXT>
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<title>Document</title></head><body><div id="i385f301aa3ab4dfca679af2cd1d5dc8a_1"></div><div style="min-height:17.46pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="margin-bottom:3pt;margin-top:3pt;text-align:right"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Exhibit 107.1</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:3pt;margin-top:3pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">Calculation of Filing Fee Tables</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">Form S-8</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(Form Type)</font></div><div style="margin-top:3pt;text-align:center;text-indent:0.05pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">The Southern Company </font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)</font></div><div style="text-align:center;text-indent:0.05pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:3pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">Table 1&#58; Newly Registered Securities</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:0.08pt"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:98.493%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:11.438%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:11.438%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:11.438%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:11.438%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:11.438%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:11.438%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:11.132%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:11.440%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-align:center;text-indent:-5.65pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Security&#160;Type</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-align:center;text-indent:-5.2pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Security<br>Class<br>Title</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Fee<br>Calculation<br> Rule</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-align:center;text-indent:4.15pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Amount<br>Registered(1)</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-align:center;text-indent:-0.1pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Proposed<br>Maximum<br>Offering Price<br>Per Unit(2)</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="margin-bottom:0.08pt;padding-right:-1.31pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:125%">Maximum<br>Aggregate<br>Offering Price(2)</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-align:center;text-indent:1.9pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Fee&#160;Rate</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-right:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="margin-bottom:0.08pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:125%">Amount of Registration Fee</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="margin-bottom:0.08pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:125%">Equity</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:0.5pt solid #000000;border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="margin-bottom:0.08pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:125%">The Southern Company Common Stock, par value $5 per share</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:0.5pt solid #000000;border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="margin-bottom:0.08pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:125%">Other(2)</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:0.5pt solid #000000;border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="margin-bottom:0.08pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:125%">35,000,000 shares</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="margin-bottom:0.08pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:125%">$73.79</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="margin-bottom:0.08pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:125%">$2,582,650,000</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="margin-bottom:0.08pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:125%">.0001476</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-right:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:top"><div style="margin-bottom:0.08pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:125%">$381,199.14</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="12" style="border-bottom:0.5pt solid #000000;border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:125%">Total Offering Amounts</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div style="margin-bottom:0.08pt;padding-right:-1.31pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:125%">$2,582,650,000</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-right:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div style="margin-bottom:0.08pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:125%">$381,199.14</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="12" style="border-bottom:0.5pt solid #000000;border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:125%">Total Fee Offsets</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-right:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Calibri',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:125%">&#8212;</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="12" style="border-bottom:0.5pt solid #000000;border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:top"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:125%">Net Fee Due</font></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:0.5pt solid #000000;border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:0.5pt solid #000000;border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:0.5pt solid #000000;border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-bottom:0.5pt solid #000000;border-left:0.5pt solid #000000;border-right:0.5pt solid #000000;border-top:0.5pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle"><div style="margin-bottom:0.08pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:125%">$381,199.14</font></div></td></tr></table></div><div style="margin-bottom:0.08pt;padding-left:0.36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">(1)</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:6.34pt">Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the &#8220;Securities Act&#8221;), the Registration Statement to which this Calculation of Filing Fee Table is attached (the &#8220;Registration Statement&#8221;) also includes an indeterminate amount of additional shares of Common Stock, par value $5 per share (the &#8220;Common Stock&#8221;), that may be offered and issued to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions. In addition, pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act, the Registration Statement also covers an indeterminate amount of interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the employee benefit plan described in the Registration Statement. Pursuant to Rule 457(h)(2) under the Securities Act, no separate registration fee is required with respect to such plan interests.</font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%">(2)</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:112%;padding-left:6.34pt">Pursuant to Rules 457(h)(1) and 457(c) under the Securities Act, these figures are based upon the average of the high and low prices paid for a share of Common Stock on April 26, 2024, as reported in the New York Stock Exchange consolidated reporting system, and are used solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee. </font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-indent:-18pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:0.08pt;padding-left:0.36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:125%"> </font></div><div style="height:26.46pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Calibri',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%"> </font></div></div></div></body></html>
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<DOCUMENT>
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end
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
