Southern Company today reported second-quarter 2015 earnings of $629 million, or 69 cents per share, compared with earnings of $611 million, or 68 cents per share, in the second quarter of 2014. For the six months ended June 30, 2015, earnings were $1.14 billion, or $1.25 per share, compared with $962 million, or $1.08 per share, for the same period in 2014.

Earnings for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, include after-tax charges of $14 million and $20 million, respectively, related to increased construction estimates for Mississippi Power's Kemper County integrated gasification combined-cycle project. Earnings for the six months ended June 30, 2014, include an after-tax charge of $235 million, or 26 cents per share, related to the Kemper County IGCC project. Earnings for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, also include a $4 million after-tax charge related to the discontinued operations of Mirant and the March 2009 settlement agreement with MC Asset Recovery, LLC.

Excluding these items, Southern Company earned $647 million, or 71 cents per share, during the second quarter of 2015, compared with earnings of $611 million, or 68 cents per share, during the second quarter of 2014. For the first six months of 2015, excluding these items, Southern Company earned $1.16 billion, or $1.28 per share, compared with earnings of $1.20 billion, or $1.34 per share, for the same period in 2014.

Earnings for the second quarter of 2015 were positively influenced by retail revenue effects at Southern Company's traditional operating companies, warmer weather and stronger than expected performance of its Southern Power subsidiary. Earnings were negatively influenced by increased non-fuel operations and maintenance expenses.

"We are encouraged by positive customer growth during the second quarter of 2015, particularly in the residential sector," said Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO Thomas A. Fanning. "Also, for the first time since 2004, we have experienced two consecutive quarters of weather-normalized growth in all three customer classes – residential, commercial and industrial – as our region continues to grow faster than the U.S. as a whole."

Second-quarter 2015 operating revenues were $4.34 billion, compared with $4.47 billion for the second quarter of 2014, a decrease of 2.9 percent. For the six months ended June 30, 2015, operating revenues were $8.52 billion, compared with $9.11 billion for the same period in 2014, a decrease of 6.5 percent.

Kilowatt-hour sales to retail customers in Southern Company's four-state service area increased 2.2 percent in the second quarter of 2015, compared with the second quarter of 2014. Residential energy sales increased 4.6 percent, commercial energy sales increased 2.3 percent and industrial energy sales increased 0.1 percent. For the first six months of 2015, retail sales increased 0.5 percent, compared with the same period in 2014. Residential energy sales decreased 0.2 percent, commercial energy sales increased 0.7 percent and industrial energy sales increased 1.0 percent.

Weather-adjusted kilowatt-hour sales to retail customers in Southern Company's four-state service area increased 0.7 percent in the second quarter of 2015, compared with the second quarter of 2014. Weather-adjusted residential energy sales increased 1.2 percent, weather-adjusted commercial energy sales increased 0.7 percent and industrial energy sales increased 0.2 percent. For the first six months of 2015, weather-adjusted retail sales increased 0.8 percent, compared with the same period in 2014. Weather-adjusted residential energy sales increased 0.7 percent, weather-adjusted commercial energy sales increased 0.7 percent and industrial energy sales increased 1.1 percent.

Total energy sales to Southern Company's customers in the Southeast, including wholesale sales, increased 2.1 percent in the second quarter of 2015, compared with the second quarter of 2014. For the first six months of 2015, total energy sales decreased 0.6 percent, compared with the same period in 2014.