ATLANTA - Oct. 16, 2006 - Southern Company today announced a regular quarterly dividend of 38.75 cents per share on the company’s common stock, payable Dec. 6, 2006, to shareholders of record Nov. 6, 2006.

This marks the 236th consecutive quarter – dating back to 1948 – that Southern Company will have paid a dividend to its shareholders.

With 4.3 million customers and more than 41,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast, one of America’s fastest-growing regions. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, 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 significantly below the national average. Southern Company has received the highest ranking in customer satisfaction among U.S. electric service providers for seven consecutive years by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Visit our Web site at www.southerncompany.com.