Company: SOJE
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000092122-25-000018
Chunk: 2745

Company: SOUTHERN CO
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 4
Chunk 2745
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 operating companies, Southern Power (excluding its subsidiaries), Southern Company Gas Capital, and Southern Company Gas (excluding its other subsidiaries) file registration statements with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

The Registrants generally obtain financing separately without credit support from any affiliate. See Note 8 to the financial statements under "Bank Credit Arrangements" for additional information. The Southern Company system does not maintain a centralized cash or money pool. Therefore, funds of each company are not commingled with funds of any other company in the Southern Company system, except in the case of Southern Company Gas, as described below.

The traditional electric operating companies and SEGCO may utilize a Southern Company subsidiary organized to issue and sell commercial paper at their request and for their benefit. Proceeds from such issuances for the benefit of an individual company are loaned directly to that company. The obligations of each traditional electric operating company and SEGCO under these arrangements are several and there is no cross-affiliate credit support. Alabama Power also maintains its own separate commercial paper program.

Southern Company Gas Capital obtains external financing for Southern Company Gas and its subsidiaries, other than Nicor Gas, which obtains financing separately without credit support from any affiliates. Southern Company Gas maintains commercial paper programs at Southern Company Gas Capital and Nicor Gas. Nicor Gas' commercial paper program supports its working capital needs as Nicor Gas is not permitted to make money pool loans to affiliates. All of the other Southern Company Gas subsidiaries benefit from Southern Company Gas Capital's commercial paper program.

By regulation, Nicor Gas is restricted, up to its retained earnings balance, in the amount it can dividend or loan to affiliates and is not permitted to make money pool loans to affiliates. At December 31, 2024, the amount of subsidiary retained earnings restricted to dividend totaled $1.6 billion. This restriction did not impact Southern Company Gas' ability to meet its cash obligations, nor does management expect such restriction to materially impact Southern Company Gas' ability to meet its currently anticipated cash obligations.

Certain Registrants' current liabilities frequently exceed their current assets because of long-term debt maturities and the periodic use of short-term debt as a funding source, as well as significant seasonal fluctuations in cash needs. The Registrants generally plan to refinance long-term debt as it matures. See Note 8 to the financial statements for additional information. Also see "Financing Activities" herein for information on financing activities that occurred subsequent to December 31, 2024. The following table shows the amount by which