Southern Company announced that it has commenced an underwritten public offering of 18,300,000 shares of its common stock, through which it expects to raise gross proceeds of approximately $900 million. Citigroup and J.P. Morgan are acting as joint book-running managers of this offering. The net proceeds from the offering will be used to fund a portion of the purchase price for the company's pending acquisition of AGL Resources and related transaction costs and for other general corporate purposes, which may include the investment by the company in its subsidiaries or the payment of a portion of the company's outstanding short-term indebtedness. The offering is expected to close on May 11, subject to customary closing conditions.

The company has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the Securities and Exchange Commission for this offering. Before investing, interested parties should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the company and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the underwriters will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by contacting Citigroup, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 (Tel: 800-831-9146), or J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by email at [email protected].

This announcement shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of, or any solicitation of an offer to buy, these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

With more than 4.5 million customers and approximately 44,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company is an energy company serving the Southeast through its subsidiaries. Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications.