Company: SOJE
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000092122-25-000036
Chunk: 42

Company: SOUTHERN CO
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 42
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Over the last three years, our market capitalization grew and we increased dividends to our stockholders.

Our track record of robust financial performance has supported the Board's decision to provide an annual increase to dividends per share for 23 consecutive years. We have paid a dividend equal to or greater than the prior year for the last 77 years. From the beginning of 2022 through the end of 2024, our market capitalization has grown by approximately $17 billion and we have paid out $9 billion in dividends to our stockholders, creating approximately $26 billion in value over the three-year period.

(1) Market capitalization calculated based on the closing stock price on December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2024, respectively.

#### Executive Compensation Best Practices
| What We Do                                                                                                    |     |                                                                                                                                                                  |     | What We Don’t Do                                                                                                 |
| Align actual payouts with performance and stockholder interests                                               
 100% of short- and long-term incentive awards are performance based                                           
 Independent compensation consultant retained by the Committee                                                 
 Policy against hedging and pledging of stock by Directors and executive officers                              
 Executive officers receive limited perquisites that make up a small portion of total compensation             
 Change-in-control severance payouts require double-trigger of change in control and termination of employment 
 Strong stock ownership requirements for executive officers                                                    |     | Annual compensation risk assessment undertaken with input from an independent consultant                                                                         
 Clawback provisions apply to all incentive compensation awards with enhanced Clawback Policy provisions for key executives, including in the event of misconduct 
 90% of CEO target pay is at risk based on achievement of performance goals                                                                                       
 Evaluate stockholder feedback through year-round engagement and results of prior years' Say on Pay votes                                                         
 Dividends on stock awards received only if underlying award is earned                                                                                            
 Annual compensation review conducted to help ensure fair and equitable pay                                                                                       |     | No tax gross ups on executive perquisites for executive officers (except on certain relocation-related expenses) 
 No employment agreements with our executive officers                                                             
 No excise tax gross-ups on change-in control severance arrangement                                               
 No additional service granted under supplemental retirement plans since 2014                                     |

#### 44Southern Company2025 Proxy Statement

### Compensation Discussion and Analysis

#### Stockholder Outreach and Say on Pay Response
We are committed to year-round engagement with our stockholders. Feedback from our stockholders has resulted in changes to our executive compensation program and enhancements to our disclosures over time. Through 2024 and early