ATLANTA -- Southern Company’s board of directors today approved a regular quarterly dividend of 33½ cents a share on the company’s common stock, payable March 6, 2001, to shareholders of record Feb. 5, 2001.

This marks the 213th 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 2000 and year-end financial performance results Jan. 19.

Southern Company (NYSE:SO) is an international energy company that operates more than 48,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity worldwide. Southern Company has operations in 12 countries on five continents. Based in Atlanta, Southern Company is the parent firm of Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power, Savannah Electric and Southern Energy. Southern Company also provides energy-related marketing, risk management and technical services in the United States and Europe and offers Southern LINC wireless telecommunications.