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CONSOLIDATED ENTITIES AND EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENTS | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2024
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract] |
CONSOLIDATED ENTITIES AND EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENTS | CONSOLIDATED ENTITIES AND EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENTS The Registrants may hold ownership interests in a number of business ventures with varying ownership structures. Partnership interests and other variable interests are evaluated to determine if each entity is a VIE. If a venture is a VIE for which a Registrant is the primary beneficiary, the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of the entity are consolidated. The Registrants reassess the conclusion as to whether an entity is a VIE upon certain occurrences, which are deemed reconsideration events. For entities that are not determined to be VIEs, the Registrants evaluate whether they have control or significant influence over the investee to determine the appropriate consolidation and presentation. Generally, entities under the control of a Registrant are consolidated, and entities over which a Registrant can exert significant influence, but which a Registrant does not control, are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. Investments accounted for under the equity method are recorded within equity investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries in the balance sheets and, for Southern Company and Southern Company Gas, the equity income is recorded within earnings from equity method investments in the statements of income. See "SEGCO" and "Southern Company Gas" herein for additional information. Southern Company At December 31, 2024 and 2023, Southern Holdings had equity method investments totaling $128 million and $126 million, respectively, primarily related to investments in venture capital funds focused on energy and utility investments. Earnings/losses from these investments were immaterial for all periods presented. SEGCO Alabama Power and Georgia Power own equally all of the outstanding capital stock of SEGCO, which owns electric generating units at Plant Gaston with a total rated capacity of 1,020 MWs, as well as associated transmission facilities. Retirement of SEGCO's generating units is currently expected to occur by December 31, 2028. However, Alabama Power, in conjunction with Georgia Power, is evaluating extending the operation of Plant Gaston Units 1 through 4 beyond the indicated retirement date. See Note 2 under "Georgia Power – Integrated Resource Plans – 2025 IRP" for additional information. Alabama Power and Georgia Power account for SEGCO using the equity method; Southern Company consolidates SEGCO. The capacity of these units is sold equally to Alabama Power and Georgia Power. Alabama Power and Georgia Power make payments sufficient to provide for the operating expenses, taxes, interest expense, and an ROE. The share of purchased power included in purchased power, affiliates in the statements of income totaled $115 million in 2024, $112 million in 2023, and $124 million in 2022 for Alabama Power and $118 million in 2024, $115 million in 2023, and $127 million in 2022 for Georgia Power. SEGCO paid dividends of $20 million in 2024, $25 million in 2023, and $14 million in 2022, one half of which were paid to each of Alabama Power and Georgia Power. In addition, Alabama Power and Georgia Power each recognize 50% of SEGCO's net income. Alabama Power, which owns and operates a generating unit adjacent to the SEGCO generating units, has a joint ownership agreement with SEGCO for the ownership of an associated gas pipeline. Alabama Power owns 14% of the pipeline with the remaining 86% owned by SEGCO. See Note 3 under "Guarantees" for additional information regarding guarantees of Alabama Power and Georgia Power related to SEGCO. Southern Power Variable Interest Entities Southern Power has certain subsidiaries that are determined to be VIEs. Southern Power is considered the primary beneficiary of these VIEs because it controls the most significant activities of the VIEs, including operating and maintaining the respective assets, and has the obligation to absorb expected losses of these VIEs to the extent of its equity interests. SP Solar and SP Wind SP Solar is owned by Southern Power and a limited partner. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Power is the general partner and holds a 1% ownership interest, and another wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Power owns a 66% ownership interest. The limited partner holds the remaining 33% noncontrolling interest. SP Solar qualifies as a VIE since the arrangement is structured as a limited partnership and the 33% limited partner does not have substantive kick-out rights against the general partner. At December 31, 2024 and 2023, SP Solar had total assets of $5.4 billion and $5.6 billion, respectively, total liabilities of $372 million and $399 million, respectively, and noncontrolling interests of $1.0 billion. Cash distributions from SP Solar are allocated 67% to Southern Power and 33% to the limited partner in accordance with their partnership interest percentage. Under the terms of the limited partnership agreement, distributions without limited partner consent are limited to available cash and SP Solar is obligated to distribute all such available cash to its partners each quarter. Available cash includes all cash generated in the quarter subject to the maintenance of appropriate operating reserves. SP Wind is owned by Southern Power and three financial investors. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Power owns 100% of the Class B membership interests and the three financial investors own 100% of the Class A membership interests. SP Wind qualifies as a VIE since the structure of the arrangement is similar to a limited partnership and the Class A members do not have substantive kick-out rights against Southern Power. At December 31, 2024 and 2023, SP Wind had total assets of $2.0 billion and $2.1 billion, respectively, total liabilities of $177 million and $187 million, respectively, and noncontrolling interests of $35 million and $38 million, respectively. Under the terms of the limited liability agreement, distributions without Class A member consent are limited to available cash and SP Wind is obligated to distribute all such available cash to its members each quarter. Available cash includes all cash generated in the quarter subject to the maintenance of appropriate operating reserves. Cash distributions from SP Wind are generally allocated 60% to Southern Power and 40% to the three financial investors in accordance with the limited liability agreement. Southern Power consolidates both SP Solar and SP Wind, as the primary beneficiary, since it controls the most significant activities of each entity, including operating and maintaining their assets. Certain transfers and sales of the assets in the VIEs are subject to partner consent and the liabilities are non-recourse to the general credit of Southern Power. Liabilities consist of customary working capital items and do not include any long-term debt. Other Variable Interest Entities Southern Power has other consolidated VIEs that relate to certain subsidiaries that have either sold noncontrolling interests to tax equity investors or acquired less than a 100% interest from facility developers. These entities are considered VIEs because the arrangements are structured similar to a limited partnership and the noncontrolling members do not have substantive kick-out rights. At December 31, 2024 and 2023, the other VIEs had total assets of $1.6 billion and $1.7 billion, respectively, total liabilities of $224 million and $230 million, respectively, and noncontrolling interests of $691 million and 761 million, respectively. Under the terms of the partnership agreements, distributions of all available cash are required each month or quarter and additional distributions require partner consent. Equity Method Investments During 2023 and 2022, Southern Power sold its remaining equity method investments in wind projects and received proceeds totaling $50 million and $38 million, respectively. Earnings (loss) from these investments, including the gains associated with the sales, were immaterial for 2023 and 2022. Southern Company Gas The carrying amounts of Southern Company Gas' equity method investments at December 31, 2024 and 2023 were as follows:
Investment Balance | December 31, 2024 |  | December 31, 2023
| (in millions)
SNG | $ | 1,245 |  |  | $ | 1,202 |
Other | 34 |  |  | 33 |
Total | $ | 1,279 |  |  | $ | 1,235 |
The earnings from Southern Company Gas' equity method investment related to SNG were $146 million in 2024, $139 million in 2023, and $146 million in 2022. The earnings from Southern Company Gas' other equity method investments were immaterial for all periods presented.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for noncontrolling interest in consolidated subsidiaries, which could include the name of the subsidiary, the ownership percentage held by the parent, the ownership percentage held by the noncontrolling owners, the amount of the noncontrolling interest, the location of this amount on the balance sheet (when not reported separately), an explanation of the increase or decrease in the amount of the noncontrolling interest, the noncontrolling interest share of the net Income or Loss of the subsidiary, the location of this amount on the income statement (when not reported separately), the nature of the noncontrolling interest such as background information and terms, the amount of the noncontrolling interest represented by preferred stock, a description of the preferred stock, and the dividend requirements of the preferred stock. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Topic 810 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/810/tableOfContent + Details
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