ATLANTA – Southern Company today announced a regular quarterly dividend of 33½ cents a share on the company’s common stock, payable March 6, 2000, to stockholders of record Feb. 7, 2000.

This marks the 209th consecutive quarter – dating back to 1948 – that Southern Company has paid a dividend to its shareholders. The quarterly dividend equals an annual rate of $1.34 per share.

Southern Company plans to announce its fourth-quarter 1999 and year-end 1999 financial performance results Jan. 20.

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is an international energy company that operates more than 48,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity worldwide. It is the largest producer of electricity in the United States and one of the world’s largest independent power producers. Southern Company subsidiaries and their affiliates serve 12 million retail customers worldwide and millions more through the wholesale market. Based in Atlanta, Southern Company is the parent firm of Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power and Savannah Electric.

Through its Southern Energy Inc. subsidiary, Southern Company has operations in 12 countries on five continents and has a growing presence in North America with assets in the Northeast, the Midwest, California and Texas. Southern Company also provides energy-related marketing, trading and technical services in the United States and Europe and offers Southern LINC wireless telecommunications.