Fortune names Southern Company a top utility for sixth consecutive year

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Feb 19, 2015, 03:45 ET

ATLANTA, Feb. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Fortune magazine has named Southern Company to its 2015 "World's Most Admired Companies" list, marking the sixth consecutive year the company has been recognized among the publication's top three utilities worldwide for financial soundness, value as a long-term investment and quality of management.

Fortune also recognized Southern Company as an industry leader for the company's innovation; quality of products and services offered; ability to attract, develop and retain talented employees; wise use of corporate assets; effectiveness in conducting its business globally; and social responsibility.

"Southern Company is successful because our customer-focused business model delivers value to the families and communities we are privileged to serve," said Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO Thomas A. Fanning. "This commitment helps drive strategic decisions designed to provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy to customers."

The Hay Group administered the Fortune survey, starting with about 1,400 companies – the 1,000 largest U.S. companies ranked by revenue and non-U.S. companies in Fortune's Global 500 database with revenue of $10 billion or more. Hay then selected the 15 largest for each international industry and the 10 largest for each U.S. industry, surveying a total of 668 companies from 29 countries. To create the 55 industry lists, Hay asked executives, directors and analysts to rate companies in their industry on the nine criteria, from investment value to social responsibility. A company's score must rank in the top half of its industry survey to be listed.

With more than 4.5 million customers and approximately 46,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast through its subsidiaries. A leading U.S. producer of clean, safe, reliable and affordable electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for energy innovation, excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are below the national average. Southern Company and its subsidiaries are leading the nation's nuclear renaissance through the construction of the first new nuclear units to be built in a generation of Americans and are demonstrating their commitment to energy innovation through the development of a state-of-the-art coal gasification plant. Southern Company has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense and G.I. Jobs magazine as a top military employer, listed by DiversityInc as a top company for Blacks and designated a 2013 Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic Network. The company received the Edison Award from the Edison Electric Institute for its leadership in new nuclear development, was named Electric Light & Power magazine's Utility of the Year for 2012 and is continually ranked among the top utilities in Fortune's annual World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.

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