ATLANTA - Oct. 20, 2008 - Southern Company today announced a regular quarterly dividend of 42 cents per share on the company's common stock, payable Dec. 6, 2008, to shareholders of record Nov. 3, 2008.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080801/SOCOLOGO )

This marks the 244th consecutive quarter -- dating back to 1948 -- that Southern Company will have paid a dividend to its shareholders.

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 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 been listed the top ranking U.S. electric service provider in customer satisfaction for nine consecutive years by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Visit our Web site at http://www.southerncompany.com/.

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SOURCE: Southern Company

Media Contact: Terri Cohilas, Southern Company Investor Relations, +1.404.506.5333 or +1.866.506.5333, media@southerncompany.com

Investor Contact: Glen Kundert, Southern Company Investor Relations, +1.404.506.5135, gakunder2@southernco.com