Atlanta -- Southern Company (NYSE: SO) has been ranked No. 5 among U.S. utilities in corporate responsibility by Corporate Responsibility Magazine.  This is the first year the magazine has published sector rankings. 

“Our culture at Southern Company is rooted in being a citizen wherever we serve,” said Thomas A.  Fanning, president and CEO, Southern Company. “The 26,000 employees who are Southern Company make thousands of good decisions every day – all for the benefit of our customers, allowing us to provide reliable, affordable electric service.”

Southern Company was evaluated on its financial strength and its efforts to reduce environmental impact and invest in its workforce.  Information on these efforts can be found in the company’s Corporate Responsibility Report, which can be accessed at the following link:

http://www.southerncompany.com/corporateresponsibility/

The sector compilations are based on publicly available data from Russell 1000 companies collected and analyzed by IW Financial, an analysis firm serving the environment, social and governance investment community.  The ratings process is overseen by a committee of corporate responsibility practitioners in consultation with academics, NGO representatives, investors and regulators.

With 4.4 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast. 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 below the national average. Southern Company was named the World’s Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility by Fortune magazine in 2011, and is consistently listed among the top U.S. electric service providers in customer satisfaction by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.