Company: SOJE
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000092122-25-000018
Chunk: 807

Company: SOUTHERN CO
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 7A
Chunk 807
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 natural gas distribution utilities have weather or revenue normalization mechanisms that mitigate revenue fluctuations from customer consumption changes. Natural gas distribution rates include provisions to adjust billings for fluctuations in natural gas costs. Therefore, gas costs recovered through natural gas revenues generally equal the amount expensed in cost of natural gas and do not affect net income from gas distribution operations. See "Cost of Natural Gas" herein for additional information.

Revenues from gas marketing services decreased in 2024 primarily due to lower commodity prices.

Customer Count

The number of customers served by gas distribution operations and gas marketing services can be impacted by natural gas prices, economic conditions, and competition from alternative fuels. Gas distribution operations' and gas marketing services' customers are primarily located in Georgia and Illinois.

The following table provides the number of customers served by Southern Company Gas at December 31, 2024 and 2023:

20242023(in thousands, except market share percent)Gas distribution operations4,387 4,374 Gas marketing servicesEnergy customers668 665 Market share of energy customers in Georgia29.8 %30.0 %

Southern Company Gas anticipates customer growth and uses a variety of targeted marketing programs to attract new customers and to retain existing customers.

Cost of Natural Gas

Excluding Atlanta Gas Light, which does not sell natural gas to end-use customers, natural gas distribution rates include provisions to adjust billings for fluctuations in natural gas costs. Therefore, gas costs recovered through natural gas revenues generally equal the amount expensed in cost of natural gas and do not affect net income from gas distribution operations. See Note 2 to the financial statements under "Southern Company Gas – Natural Gas Cost Recovery" for additional information. Cost of natural gas at gas distribution operations represented 80.3% of the total cost of natural gas for 2024.

Gas marketing services customers are charged for actual and estimated natural gas consumed. Cost of natural gas includes the cost of fuel and associated transportation costs, lost and unaccounted for gas, and gains and losses associated with certain derivatives.

Cost of natural gas was $1.2 billion, a decrease of $448 million, or 27.3%, in 2024 as compared to 2023, which reflects lower gas cost recovery in 2024 as a result of a 17.1% decrease in natural gas prices compared to 2023.

Volumes of Natural Gas Sold

Southern Company Gas' natural gas volume metrics for gas distribution operations and gas marketing services illustrate the effects of weather and customer demand for natural gas.

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