Rising Together
2024 Year in Review
At Southern Company, collaboration and innovation defined our achievements in 2024. We made history with the completion of Plant Vogtle's nuclear expansion project and showcased resilience during the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
Our commitment to working as One Team and prioritizing our customers has brought our vision of a clean energy future to life. Recognized as the No. 1 most-admired electric and gas utility worldwide, we believe in the power of Rising Together toward a brighter future.
Plant Vogtle Expansion Completed
Nuclear Plant Vogtle is now the largest generator of clean energy in the nation following the successful completion of the site’s expansion project. This monumental achievement represents a long-term investment that will benefit our customers and communities for the next 60-80 years, ensuring we meet the energy demands of our growing economy. Units 3 and 4 are the first newly constructed nuclear units in the U.S. in over three decades. Operated by Southern Nuclear, these new units will support 800 permanent, high-paying jobs.
By the numbers
- Units 3 and 4 generate enough electricity to power 1 million homes and businesses
- Nuclear plants generate electricity 24/7/365
- Plant Vogtle’s nuclear reactors produce 0 carbon emissions
The Most Destructive Storm in Georgia Power’s History
Hurricane Helene made landfall on the Florida Gulf Coast on the evening of Thursday, Sept. 26 as a Category 4 hurricane, bringing 140 mph winds and flooding rains as it moved north into Georgia.
The storm left catastrophic damage in its wake. For Georgia Power, Hurricane Helene was the most destructive storm in the company’s 140-year history.
By Oct. 7, Georgia Power had restored service to 99 percent of the nearly 1.5 million customers, about the population of New Hampshire, impacted by the storm. This monumental effort involved more than 20,000 personnel, including teammates from Alabama Power, Mississippi Power and numerous other companies.
The damage was so severe in places that entire sections of the power grid had to be rebuilt.
11,800+ power poles broken
1,500+ miles of downed power lines
5,800+ transformers damaged
3,200+ trees impacting lines
345+ transmission structures rebuilt or repaired
Atlanta Gas Light (AGL), with support from teammates from Virginia Natural Gas, safely completed more than 1,000 emergency leak calls in Augusta alone across the final four days of September. That figure represents more calls than AGL received in the first five months of 2024 combined.
Excelling at the Fundamentals
Self-Healing Network Sucess
Mississippi Power announced that 95 percent of its customers are now served by a self-healing network, which significantly reduces the frequency and duration of outages by isolating faults and automatically restoring service to unaffected customers. Initiated in 2010 as part of the Department of Energy’s Smart Grid Investment Grant, this project has prevented nearly seven million outage minutes from the beginning of 2023 through May 2024. Over 1,000 reclosers have been installed, achieving the goal of extensive network coverage and improving grid reliability and
customer satisfaction.
Solar Surge
In 2023, solar energy accounted for more than half of new U.S. electricity generating capacity for the first time, with Southern Company playing a pivotal role, having added over 2,800 MW of solar capacity since 2015. Estimates predict a near tripling of solar capacity by the early 2030s, reaching approximately 20,000 MW of renewable capacity and storage by 2030. In April 2024, Southern Power announced the commercial operation of its 30th solar site, the South Cheyenne Solar Facility, and expansions to the Millers Branch Solar Facility in Texas, making it the company's largest solar facility at 512 MW.
Winter Storm Heather
The Southern Company system reliably served a historic amount of electricity on Jan. 17, reaching an all-time record winter peak load of 39,934 MW. The figure surpasses that of past winter weather events, including 2014’s polar vortex and 2022’s Winter Storm Elliott.
Grid Improvement Grant
Georgia Power has been awarded over $160 million by the Department of Energy's Grid Deployment Office to enhance grid flexibility and resilience through the GRIP Program. This funding will support the deployment of new grid-enhancing technologies, improve the resilience of the power system against extreme weather, help ensure access to affordable, reliable electricity, and unlock opportunities for renewable generation deployment.
Mutual Assistance for Beryl
Hurricane Beryl was the earliest-forming Category 5 hurricane on record, forming in late June. After tearing through the Caribbean, Beryl made landfall south of Houston as a Category 1 hurricane on July 8, leaving a staggering 2.3 million Texans without power. In response, more than 1,100 system crew members and contractors from Alabama Power, Georgia Power and Mississippi Power assisted in restoration efforts as part of the mutual effort.
Exemplary Nuclear Performance
During its multi-year evaluation, both Plant Farley and Plant Hatch achieved the highest performance ratings possible from the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO). This recognition represents three consecutive years of exemplary ratings for Plant Farley and the first exemplary rating for Plant Hatch since 2014. For the first time in nearly a decade, plants Vogtle 1&2, Farley, and Hatch are all concurrently rated as exemplary by INPO.
Innovating How We Make, Move and Serve Energy
Battery Storage Enhances Resiliency
The first grid-connected battery energy storage system (BESS) in Georgia Power’s history entered commercial operation at the Mossy Branch Battery Facility, capable of storing 65 megawatts (MW) of energy to enhance grid resiliency and reliability. Approved as part of the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), this facility supports the efficiency of renewable energy sources like solar by storing excess energy for use during high demand periods.
NCCC Reaches Milestone
The National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC), managed and operated by Southern Company on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy, has surpassed 150,000 hours (about 17 years) of technology testing. This milestone advances cost-effective, commercially viable carbon management technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-based power plants and industrial sources. The center's research also progresses technologies for carbon conversion and direct air capture.
Renewable Gas Initiative
Virginia Natural Gas and Chattanooga Gas entered their first renewable natural gas purchases. The emissions reductions from the transactions are estimated to be equivalent to the carbon sequestered by over 12,000 acres of U.S. forest or an area the size of Manhattan. In April, VNG began serving more than 310,000 residential and small business customers with 100 percent Next Generation Natural Gas.
Advancing Nuclear Reactor Technology
Southern Company Services led the DOE Licensing Modernization Project (LMP) and the Technology Inclusive Content of Application Project (TICAP), pivotal efforts in modernizing the regulatory framework for advanced reactor licensing, which have now been endorsed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. (NRC). These initiatives, aimed at reducing regulatory uncertainty and encouraging safer reactor designs, have significantly streamlined the licensing process for non-light water reactors, emphasizing safety and efficiency.
GM Hydrogen Fleet
General Motors, in partnership with Southern Company and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's SuperTruck 3 program, will deploy a fleet of hydrogen fuel-cell medium-duty trucks. This $65 million project aims to demonstrate hydrogen as a viable alternative to diesel and to create a hydrogen-based worksite ecosystem, reducing carbon emissions. Southern Company will use the trucks as shop vehicles at its worksites, highlighting the potential for hydrogen technology in utility operations.
Growing Our Company and Communities
In 2024 we reported
- $201 million to advance racial equity and social justice in our communities since 2021
- Through our foundations and corporate giving, we invested over $90 million in grants, sponsorships and impact investments across our territories in 2023.
Meta's New Alabama Facility
Alabama Power played a crucial role in bringing Meta's $800 million data center and 100 jobs to Montgomery. The 715,000-square-foot facility will join Meta’s other Alabama data center campus in Huntsville, representing an investment commitment of $1.5 billion in the state. The project, known as "Project Slate," required significant collaboration and a commitment to renewable energy, with Alabama Power ensuring reliable, clean energy to meet Meta's needs.
Expanding Smart Neighborhood Project
Nicor Gas is expanding its partnership with Habitat for Humanity to create a second Smart Neighborhood community of 13 energy-efficient homes for first-time homeowners in Northern Fox Valley. These homes will feature high efficiency building designs, solar panels, energy storage, and smart technologies to help ensure manageable energy bills and enhanced living standards.
Customer experience transformation
Southern Company’s multi-year customer modernization program has delivered significant value this year for our electric operating companies. In 2024, we implemented a new Meter Data Management (MDM) system, centralizing and validating meter data for billing, analytics, and customer use. Additionally, the program has created and enhanced tools for our metering, customer service, and marketing teams, empowering our employees with better resources. Finally, we introduced an advanced data and analytics platform that unifies customer and meter data, making advanced analytics faster and more efficient. These updates are allowing our operating companies to use modern tools to anticipate evolving customer needs and improve first-contact engagement and resolution.
We’re recognized as a great place that does great work
2024 Accolades
- Fortune Magazine’s #1 most admired electric and gas utility company worldwide
- JD Power - J.D. Power has ranked Georgia Power as the leading utility in the South for Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction
- Disability Equality Index - For the eighth consecutive year, Southern Company has received a top score of 100 on the Disability Equality Index®, receiving the distinction of 2024 "Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion" by Disability:IN.
- Top 10 2025 Military Friendly Employer - Recognized as a 2025 Military Friendly® Employer designation, Southern Company stands among 12 organizations honored for 18 or more years.
- Human Rights Campaign - For the seventh consecutive year, Southern Company earned a score of 100 on the 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index, underscoring its commitment to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.