Company: SOJE
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000092122-25-000018
Chunk: 64

Company: SOUTHERN CO
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 5
Chunk 64
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. On February 13, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit placed the legacy CCR rule challenges in abeyance for 120 days so that the new Trump Administration can determine how to proceed with the litigation. The ultimate impact of the final rule and associated legal matters cannot be determined at this time; however, it may result in significant compliance costs.

Based on requirements for closure and monitoring of landfills and surface impoundments pursuant to the CCR Rule and applicable state rules, the traditional electric operating companies have periodically updated, and expect to continue periodically updating, their related cost estimates and ARO liabilities for each CCR unit as additional information related to compliance monitoring, closure methodologies and strategies, schedules, and/or costs becomes available. Some of these updates have been, and future updates may be, material. Additionally, the closure designs and plans in the States of Alabama and Georgia are subject to approval by environmental regulatory agencies. Absent continued recovery of ARO costs through regulated rates, results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition for Southern Company and the traditional electric operating companies could be materially impacted. See FINANCIAL CONDITION AND LIQUIDITY – "Cash Requirements" herein, Notes 2 and 3 to the financial statements under "Georgia Power – Rate Plans" and "General Litigation Matters – Alabama Power," respectively, and Note 6 to the financial statements for additional information.

Greenhouse Gases

On May 9, 2024, the EPA published the final GHG rules for existing fossil fuel-fired steam electric generating units and new fossil fuel-fired combustion turbines and combined cycle generation facilities, which requires GHG limits for subcategories of both new and existing units. The new rules do not include standards for existing fossil fuel-fired combustion turbines and combined cycle generation facilities, which have been deferred to a future rulemaking. Requirements for existing coal-fired units are based on technologies such as carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and natural gas co-firing. States have 24 months after the rule's publication to submit state plans for existing units. The rule allows states to consider remaining useful life and other factors to specify alternative, unit-specific emissions limits and compliance timelines for existing units, as needed to address reliability and other concerns. Existing source compliance will begin as early as January 1, 2030, depending on the subcategory. The final rule incorporates some limited reliability mechanisms including a provision for short-term grid emergencies and a "reliability assurance mechanism" that allows for