Company: SOJE
Filing Date: 2025-03-31
Form Type: PRE 14A
Source: 0000092122-25-000032
Chunk: 1

Company: SOUTHERN CO
Filing Date: 2025-03-31
Form: PRE 14A
Chunk 1
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 of Incorporation to Reducethe Supermajority Vote Requirement to a Majority Vote |     |  82 |
| ITEMS 5-8Vote onFourStockholder Proposals                                                                                              |     |  84 |
| Stock Ownership Information                                                                                                            |     |  91 |
| FAQsabout Voting and the Annual Meeting                                                                                                |     |  93 |
| Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Information                                                                                                 |     |  98 |
| Cautionary Note RegardingForward-Looking Statements                                                                                    |     |  99 |
| Appendix A - Definitions of Key Terms                                                                                                  |     | 101 |
| Appendix B - Benefit Plan Summary                                                                                                      |     | 102 |

Southern Company is a holding company that conducts its business through its subsidiaries; accordingly, unless the context otherwise requires, references in this proxy statement to Southern Company’s operations, such as generating activities, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and employment practices, refer to those operations conducted through its subsidiaries.

Links to websites included in this proxy statement are provided solely for convenience purposes. Content on the websites, including content on our Company website, is not, and shall not be deemed to be, part of this proxy statement or incorporated herein or into any of our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

See Appendix A - Definitions of Key Terms on page 101 for many key terms and acronyms used in this proxy statement.

#### Southern Company2025 Proxy Statement1
Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Southern Company

### Items of Business
Stockholders are being asked to vote on the agenda items described below and to consider any other business properly brought before the 2025 annual meeting and any adjournment or postponement of the meeting.

| 1   |     | Elect 13 Directors named in this proxy statement                                                                                  |
| 2   |     | Conduct an advisory vote to approve executive compensation, often referred to as a Say on Pay                                     |
| 3   |     | Ratify the appointment of Deloitte & Touche as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2025                         |
| 4   |     | Approve an amendment to the Restated Certificate of Incorporation to reduce the supermajority vote requirement to a majority vote |
| 5-8 |     | Vote on four stockholder proposals, if each is properly presented at the meeting                                                  |

#### Every Vote is Important to Southern Company
We have created an annual meeting website at southerncompanyannualmeeting.com to make it easy to access