ATLANTA – Southern Company’s 2000 annual report has been rated one of the world’s best by Sid Cato, the internationally recognized monitor of corporate annual reports.

Cato, the editor and publisher of “Sid Cato’s Newsletter on Annual Reports,” assigns “world-class” status to annual reports that score at least 100 points out of a potential 135 points in his copyrighted evaluation process. The Southern Company report scored 108 points.

The annual report, with the theme “Do You See It?” details Southern Company’s strategy of focusing on the Southeast and features an interview with Chairman, President and CEO Allen Franklin as well as an extensive financial review of the past year. Print copies were mailed to Southern Company shareholders in April; an online version can be seen at www.southerncompany.com.

“The annual report is one of our primary vehicles for communicating with investors,” said Allen Franklin, Southern Company chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Southern Company has a good story to tell, and the annual report tells our story with clarity and creativity.”

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is a super-regional energy company with more than 32,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity in the Southeast. It is one of the largest producers of electricity in the U.S. Southern Company is the parent firm of Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power, Savannah Electric, Southern Nuclear, Southern Company Energy Solutions, Southern LINC and Southern Telecom. Southern Company also owns a growing competitive generation business in the Southeast. Southern Company brands are synonymous with excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are 15 percent below the national average. With more than 500,000 shareholders, Southern Company common stock is one of the most widely held stocks in the United States.

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