ATLANTA – Southern Company’s board of directors today approved a regular quarterly dividend of 33½ cents per share on the company’s common stock, payable Sept. 6, 2001, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Aug. 6, 2001.

This marks the 215th consecutive quarter – dating back to 1948 – that Southern Company will have paid a dividend to its shareholders. The quarterly dividend equals an annual rate of $1.34 per share.

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is a super-regional energy company with more than 32,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity in the Southeast. It is one of the largest producers of electricity in the U.S. Southern Company is the parent firm of Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power, Savannah Electric, Southern Nuclear, Southern Company Energy Solutions, Southern LINC and Southern Telecom. Southern Company also owns a growing competitive generation business in the Southeast. Southern Company brands are synonymous with excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are 15 percent below the national average. With more than 500,000 shareholders, Southern Company common stock is one of the most widely held stocks in the United States. # # #