BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Plant operators safely took Unit 1 of the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant offline shortly after midnight this morning for a scheduled refueling and maintenance outage. The last refueling outage for Unit 1 was completed in spring 2010.

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Each unit at Plant Hatch requires refueling every 24 months. Aside from refueling the reactor and performing regular maintenance and testing, workers also will replace the Main Turbine Low Pressure Rotor.

Plant Hatch Unit 2 will continue to safely generate electricity while Unit 1 is offline and refueling.

About Southern Nuclear:
Southern Nuclear, a subsidiary of Southern Company, operates the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant near Baxley, Ga., the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant near Dothan, Ala. and the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant near Waynesboro, Ga.

About Southern Company:
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 is the parent firm of electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications companies. 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.

SOURCE Southern Company