Corporate Responsibility Report 2018

Corporate Responsibility Report 2018

2 Letter from Tom Fanning

4 Carbon reduction goals

6 Our company

? Overview ? Business environment ? Energy portfolio ? Celebrating 50 years of R&D ? Advancing technology ? Policy and engagement ? Leadership oversight ? New board members ? Our Values ? Code of Ethics

22 Our people

? Who we are ? Listening to our employees ? Diversity and inclusion ? Investing in employees ? Recruitment ? Developing people ? Diverse career options ? Safety ? Supplier diversity

38 Our community

? Charitable giving ? Volunteering ? Educational initiatives ? Supporting customers

? Smart neighborhood projects ? Economic development ? Environmental stewardship

50 Our world

? GHG emissions reductions ? Lowering air emissions ? Conserving water ? Managing solid wastes ? Mitigating methane emissions

62 Appendix

? GRI index ? Environmental metrics ? Company metrics ? Workforce metrics ? SASB index

About this report Our Corporate Responsibility Report for 2018 highlights our efforts and progress on environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics. This report has been prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards core option. The goal of this annual report is to provide insights into the inner workings of our corporate responsibility through the lens of our company, our people, our community and our world. To learn more, please visit the Corporate Responsibility section of our website where you can find additional information, reports and related news.

1

Letter from Tom Fanning

Southern Company is privileged to provide the clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy customers depend on to live, work and play. For more than a century, we have been building the future of energy and developing the full portfolio of energy resources required to drive growth and prosperity.

Southern Company and our subsidiaries recognize the responsibility that comes with our privilege to develop energy solutions and are steadfast in our commitment to our customers, our neighbors and our communities. Energy done right gives us a near-unassailable advantage in a worldwide, competitive economy to sustain growth, create jobs, grow personal incomes and make lives better for so many.

We have been entrusted with an enormous responsibility and operate our business accordingly. That is why Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and affordable prices.

At Southern Company, we operate every day knowing how we do our jobs ? the behaviors we exhibit with customers and each other ? is just as important as what we do. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and govern our business to the benefit of all. Across Southern Company, the values at the core of how we do business include Safety First, Unquestionable Trust, Superior Performance and Total Commitment.

Even in the face of an evolving future, Southern Company will continue to emphasize that our culture is the key to meeting our challenges. As we shape what the future holds for this industry and our company, we will continue to develop and promote a corporate culture that is inclusive, provides a sense of purpose and guides our behaviors to the benefit of customers, communities, employees, stockholders and stakeholders alike. Not only because they demand as much and deserve no less; but because it is the right thing to do.

To address environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics in an open and honest way, this report is organized into four pillars: ? Our company sets the standard for delivering clean, safe, reliable

and affordable energy to the customers and communities we are privileged to serve. ? Our people are the energy behind our energy. Our talented, engaged and diverse workforce knows that how we do our job is just as important as what we do. ? Our communities must be better off because we are there. Our responsibility is to preserve and protect our environment and our neighbors. ? Our world is rapidly evolving while presenting new opportunities to enhance the value we provide.

On behalf of the thousands of people making thousands of good decisions every day at Southern Company, thank you for your interest in our company. We will continue our hard work on your behalf.

2

Tom Fanning Chairman, President & CEO Southern Company

3

Carbon reduction goals

Southern Company is transitioning our energy generation fleet for a low-carbon future. In doing so, we have established an intermediate goal of a 50 percent reduction in carbon emissions from 2007 levels by 2030 and

a long-term goal of low- to no-carbon operations by 2050.

These goals are a continuation of our trajectory of lower carbon emissions over the past decade-plus, which have resulted in a 35 percent

reduction since 2007. Notably, generation from coal plants continues to trend downward, in line with our stated carbon reduction objectives. For 2018, coal represented only 27 percent of our energy mix as compared to 69 percent in 2007.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

2007

2018

Baseline

4

35% reduction

Our strategy to achieve these goals includes the continued development and deployment of a diverse portfolio of energy resources to reliably and affordably serve our customers and communities with a focus on reducing carbon emissions.

To do this, we are growing our investment in renewable energy, modernizing the grid to optimize technology advancements, increasing the use of natural gas, building new nuclear generating units, continuing our industry-leading, robust research and development (R&D) efforts,

and investing in energy efficiency for savings on both sides of the meter.

We will work within the regulatory framework in each of our states to ensure that our carbon reduction efforts support customers' needs and preferences.

2030

2050

50% reduction

Low to no

5

Our Company

Our uncompromising values guide us in keeping those we

serve at the center of everything we do and

govern how we do business to improve

our world.

Service territories

Electric Gas

8

1

1

3 HAWAII

18 PUERTO RICO

34 61

2

CC

3

SS

1

9 7

LNG

SS 1

21

SS

3 3

SS 7 11

21

4 2

3

3

SS 74

4

21 11

44

B

10

SE

SS 7

LNG

CC CT SS 224 CT

LNG

LNG

31 CT

59 SS

1

LNG LNG

SS

CC CT SS

CC CC 17

LNG 931

SS

Gas pipelines

Southern Natural Gas Southern Company Gas Pipeline projects

Southern Power

CC Combined-cycle facility* CT Peaking facility B Biomass facility** S Solar facility W Wind facility

Southern Company Gas

LNG LNG facilities SE Sequent Energy Management SS SouthStar

Natural gas storage

* In November 2018, Southern Power agreed to sell its Plant Mankato combined-cycle facility.

** In April 2019, Southern Power agreed to sell its Nacogdoches biomass facility.

PowerSecure

# Owned and managed sites per state

As of Jan. 1, 2019 Back to contents

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