ATLANTA – Georgia Power and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) recently awarded four grants to conservation organizations and natural resource agencies within the state of Georgia.

The grants are among 11 awarded under Southern Company’s Power of Flight and Longleaf Legacy partnership programs. Seven of the 11 grants were awarded under the Power of Flight bird habitat conservation partnership and four grants under the Longleaf Legacy carbon sequestration, longleaf pine restoration partnership. Both conservation initiatives will focus on areas within the service territories of Southern Company’s five operating companies: Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power and Savannah Electric.

“Georgia Power is committed to making environmental improvements in the communities where we serve,” said Chuck Huling, Georgia Power’s director of environmental affairs. “We look forward to working with these organizations this year on key conservation projects that will further protect our environment and Georgia wildlife.”

“These 11 grants will provide funding to leading conservation organizations and agencies working to restore some of the South’s most important species, including the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker,” said John Berry, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s executive director. “In addition, more than 1,100 acres of longleaf pine forests will be restored, which will benefit bobwhite quail and hundreds of other species, as well as provide recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts.”

The Power of Flight program, launched in August 2002, focuses on bird habitat conservation and education efforts beneficial to some of the South’s most threatened and endangered or declining bird species. Southern Company provides $250,000 annually to the program with matching funds from the NFWF and grantees, providing an impact of at least $1 million annually. The company also donates $50,000 to support NFWF’s bird conservation programs.

The Longleaf Legacy program, which began in August 2003, is a five-year program focused on restoring the South’s signature longleaf pine ecosystem to conserve biological diversity and sequester carbon. Southern Company contributes $500,000 annually to the program, also with matching funds from NFWF and grantees, resulting in an annual impact of at least $1.5 million. The company also donates $100,000 to support NFWF’s longleaf restoration efforts.

The following Power of Flight and Longleaf Legacy grants have been awarded this year to implement conservation initiatives within the state of Georgia:

Power of Flight • Georgia Department of Natural Resources/State Parks – To create a 50-acre wetland area for birds and other wetland species at Panola Mountain State Park, near Atlanta.

• Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge – To create a 1,500-foot walking trail with boardwalks and educational exhibits.

• Tall Timbers Research Station – To assist with on-the-ground recovery and management of red-cockaded woodpecker populations.

Longleaf Legacy • Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR)/State Parks – To restore the longleaf pine ecosystem on 254 acres of DNR managed land.

For more information on The Power of Flight and Longleaf Legacy programs, please go to www.southerncompany.com/planetpower.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the conservation of fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats by attracting diverse investments, encouraging public and private collaboration, and funding the stewardship of natural resources. The Foundation supports and invests in the best possible solutions for wildlife conservation through creative, diverse, and respectful partnerships. For more information, please visit www.nfwf.org.

Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the nation’s largest generators of electricity. The company is an investor-owned, tax-paying utility, serving customers in 57,000 of the state’s 59,000 square miles. Georgia Power’s rates are more than 15 percent below the national average, and its 2 million customers are in all but six of Georgia’s 159 counties.

With more than 4 million customers and nearly 39,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier super-regional energy company in the Southeast and a leading U.S. producer of electricity. Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states, a growing competitive generation company, an energy services business and a competitive retail natural gas business, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are 15 percent below the national average. Southern Company has been named three consecutive years No. 1 on Fortune magazine’s “America’s Most Admired Companies” list in the Electric and Gas Utility industry. Southern Company has been ranked the nation’s top energy utility in the American Customer Satisfaction Index four years in a row, and in the latest survey tied for the highest score among all service industry companies. Southern Company has more than 500,000 shareholders, making its common stock one of the most widely held in the United States. Visit the Southern Company Web site at www.southerncompany.com.