BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Plant operators safely took Unit 1 of the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant offline on April 1 for a scheduled refueling and maintenance outage. The last refueling outage for Unit 1 was completed in fall 2010.

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Each unit at Plant Farley requires refueling every 18 months. Aside from refueling the reactor and performing regular maintenance and testing, workers also will perform upgrades to the plant systems and components.

"Our number one priority for this planned outage is the safety of our employees, the facility and the outside teams who support us to make it successful," said Tom Lynch, site vice president, Farley. "Refueling outages require hundreds of additional workers, who add to the economic support of the communities where we live and work. I want to thank the Farley team and know that we will have a successful and efficient outage."

Plant Farley Unit 2 will continue to safely generate electricity while Unit 1 is offline and refueling. Approximately 950 Southern Nuclear employees work at Plant Farley's two units.

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. Nuclear and personal safety is the company's top value.

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