Company: SOJE
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000092122-25-000036
Chunk: 41

Company: SOUTHERN CO
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 41
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 Alignment
2024 CEO Pay Decisions Demonstrate Alignment with Company Performance and Stockholder Interests

| CEO 2024 Target Pay |     |                                                                                                                                                            |
|                     |     | In making 2024 pay decisions for our CEO, the Committee continued to demonstrate alignment between CEO pay and Company performance based on three factors: 
 4Placing the overwhelming majority of the CEO’s total compensation at risk based on the achievement of Committee-approved goals                            
 4Selecting metrics and targets to align pay with long-term value creation for stockholders                                                                 
 4Actively reviewing performance to appropriately align payouts in a manner consistent with stockholder interests and stockholder feedback                  |

We continue to create significant long-term stockholder returns through stock price appreciation and dividends paid to our stockholders. The majority of CEO incentive compensation was tied to stockholder value created from 2022 to 2024 relative to our industry peers and the Company’s strong adjusted financial results.

4 Since 2018, we have consistently performed in the top quartile of our TSR peer group for each three-year performance period and significantly above the median TSR for the peer group.

4 We have continued to deliver strong adjusted EPS growth through 2024.

Southern Company’s annualized TSR consistently has been in the top quartile and higher than the average TSR for its peer group*

* Industry peers selected by the Committee for determining TSR performance are generally consistent over the last five years, with minor adjustments for mergers or other business combinations and refinements, based on recommendations from our independent compensation consultant, to better match the Company’s profile (see page 61 ), and are disclosed in the applicable proxy statement for the year the grant was made.

#### Southern Company2025 Proxy Statement43

### Compensation Discussion and Analysis
Over the last three years, we have demonstrated strong adjusted EPS growth.

4 We delivered strong adjusted EPS results at or above the top end of our projected EPS guidance ranges. These results were driven by a combination of constructive regulatory outcomes for customers and stockholders and effective cost discipline.

4 We believe that evaluating performance based on adjusted EPS is aligned with stockholder interests, with the Committee's engagement on evaluating potential EPS adjustments for compensation payout purposes. For a discussion of the Committee's review of the financial goal payouts, see page 57 .

4 GAAP reported EPS was $3.28 in 2022, $3.64 in 2023 and $4.02 in 2024. For a reconciliation of adjusted EPS to EPS under GAAP, see page 98 .