The following was released today in London:

Southern Electric International Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Southern Company, announces that, following market purchases today, another subsidiary of The Southern Company is now the beneficial owner of an additional 3,533,918 shares in South Western Electricity plc (“SWEB”) (3.2 percent of SWEB’s issued share capital). The purchases increase the subsidiary’s total holding in SWEB to 16,020,028 shares (14.4 percent of the issued share capital).

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NOTE:

On July 13, The Southern Company made a bid for the outstanding shares of SWEB. Southern Electric International`s offer is not being made, directly or indirectly, in or into, or by use of the mails of, or by any means or instrumentality (including, without limitation, facsimile transmission, telex or telephone) of interstate or foreign commerce of, or through any facility of a national securities exchange in, the United States, and the offer cannot be accepted by any such use, means, instrumentality or through any such facility or from within the United States, Canada or Australia.