Company: SOJE
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000092122-25-000018
Chunk: 4262

Company: SOUTHERN CO
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 4262
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 energy prices and fuel costs, which could increase the cost of producing power, decrease the amount received from the sale of energy, 

I-22

    Table of Contents                                Index to Financial Statements

and/or make electric generating facilities and natural gas distribution systems less competitive. The market prices for these commodities may fluctuate significantly over relatively short periods of time as a result of changes in supply and/or demand, which could increase the expenses and/or reduce the revenues of the Registrants. For the traditional electric operating companies and Southern Company Gas' regulated gas distribution operations, such impacts may not be fully recoverable through rates.

Southern Power and the traditional electric operating companies purchase natural gas as a fuel source for their power generation needs and the natural gas distribution utilities purchase natural gas for sale to their customers. Accordingly, the price of natural gas affects, among other things, Southern Power's and the traditional electric operating companies' costs of generation and the natural gas distribution utilities' cost of natural gas. Natural gas remains a volatile commodity. Slight supply and demand imbalances can quickly result in significant price moves both up and down. These price movements may be short-lived, but the impacts can be pronounced. Natural gas supplies have continued to grow; however, this growth has been accompanied by LNG export growth. Forward curves project prices will remain in the mid- to high-$3 per mmBtu range through 2030; however, short-term price volatility is expected and future prices could be materially impacted by various factors, including unexpected geopolitical events as well as government policies related to natural gas and energy, including infrastructure development, production, and exports.

The traditional electric operating companies and Southern Company Gas from time to time have experienced and may continue to experience underrecovered fuel and purchased power and/or purchased gas cost balances. While the traditional electric operating companies and Southern Company Gas are generally authorized to recover fuel and purchased power and/or purchased gas costs through cost recovery clauses, recovery may be delayed or may be denied if costs are deemed to be imprudently incurred.

The Registrants are subject to risks associated with a changing economic environment, customer behaviors, including increased energy conservation, and adoption patterns of technologies by customers.

The consumption and use of energy are linked to economic activity. This relationship is affected over time by changes in the economy, customer behaviors, and technologies. An economic downturn could be caused by a variety of factors, including wars, geopolitical instability, acts of terrorism, political or financial crises, pandemic health events, or cyclical economic factors. Any economic downturn