v3.10.0.1
Segment and Related Information (Notes)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting [Abstract]  
SEGMENT AND RELATED INFORMATION
SEGMENT AND RELATED INFORMATION
Southern Company
The primary businesses of the Southern Company system are electricity sales by the traditional electric operating companies and Southern Power and the distribution of natural gas by Southern Company Gas. The traditional electric operating companies – Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power (through December 31, 2018), and Mississippi Power – are vertically integrated utilities providing electric service in four Southeastern states. On January 1, 2019, Southern Company completed its sale of Gulf Power to NextEra Energy. Southern Power develops, constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy projects, and sells electricity at market-based rates in the wholesale market. Southern Company Gas distributes natural gas through its natural gas distribution utilities and is involved in several other complementary businesses including gas pipeline investments, wholesale gas services, and gas marketing services. In July 2018, Southern Company Gas completed sales of three of its natural gas distribution utilities. See Note 15 for additional information regarding disposition activities.
Southern Company's reportable business segments are the sale of electricity by the traditional electric operating companies, the sale of electricity in the competitive wholesale market by Southern Power, and the sale of natural gas and other complementary products and services by Southern Company Gas. Revenues from sales by Southern Power to the traditional electric operating companies were $435 million, $392 million, and $419 million in 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively. Revenues from sales of natural gas from Southern Company Gas to the traditional electric operating companies and Southern Power were $32 million and $119 million, respectively, in 2018, $23 million and $119 million, respectively, in 2017, and $11 million and $17 million, respectively, in 2016. The "All Other" column includes the Southern Company parent entity, which does not allocate operating expenses to business segments. Also, this category includes segments below the quantitative threshold for separate disclosure. These segments include providing energy technologies and services to electric utilities and large industrial, commercial, institutional, and municipal customers, as well as investments in telecommunications and leveraged lease projects. All other inter-segment revenues are not material.
Financial data for business segments and products and services for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016 was as follows:
 
Electric Utilities
 
 
 
 
 
Traditional
Electric
Operating
Companies
Southern
Power
Eliminations
Total
Southern Company Gas
All
Other
Eliminations
Consolidated
 
(in millions)
2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Operating revenues
$
16,843

$
2,205

$
(477
)
$
18,571

$
3,909

$
1,213

$
(198
)
$
23,495

Depreciation and amortization
2,072

493


2,565

500

66


3,131

Interest income
23

8


31

4

8

(5
)
38

Earnings from equity method investments
(1
)


(1
)
148

2

(1
)
148

Interest expense
852

183


1,035

228

580

(1
)
1,842

Income taxes (benefit)
371

(164
)

207

464

(222
)

449

Segment net income (loss)(a)(b)(c)(d)
2,117

187


2,304

372

(453
)
3

2,226

Goodwill

2



2

5,015

298


5,315

Total assets
79,382

14,883

(306
)
93,959

21,448

3,285

(1,778
)
116,914

Gross property additions
6,077

315


6,392

1,399

414


8,205

2017
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Operating revenues
$
16,884

$
2,075

$
(419
)
$
18,540

$
3,920

$
741

$
(170
)
$
23,031

Depreciation and amortization
1,954

503


2,457

501

52


3,010

Interest income
14

7


21

3

11

(9
)
26

Earnings from equity method investments
1



1

106

(1
)

106

Interest expense
820

191


1,011

200

490

(7
)
1,694

Income taxes (benefit)
1,021

(939
)

82

367

(307
)

142

Segment net income (loss)(a)(b)(e)(f)
(193
)
1,071


878

243

(279
)

842

Goodwill

2


2

5,967

299


6,268

Total assets
72,204

15,206

(325
)
87,085

22,987

2,552

(1,619
)
111,005

Gross property additions
3,836

268


4,104

1,525

355


5,984

2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Operating revenues
$
16,803

$
1,577

$
(439
)
$
17,941

$
1,652

$
463

$
(160
)
$
19,896

Depreciation and amortization
1,881

352


2,233

238

31


2,502

Interest income
6

7


13

2

20

(15
)
20

Earnings from equity method investments
2



2

60

(3
)

59

Interest expense
814

117


931

81

317

(12
)
1,317

Income taxes (benefit)
1,286

(195
)

1,091

76

(216
)

951

Segment net income (loss)(a)(b)
2,233

338


2,571

114

(230
)
(7
)
2,448

Goodwill

2


2

5,967

282


6,251

Total assets
72,141

15,169

(316
)
86,994

21,853

2,474

(1,624
)
109,697

Gross property additions
4,852

2,114


6,966

618

41

(1
)
7,624


(a)
Attributable to Southern Company.
(b)
Segment net income (loss) for the traditional electric operating companies includes pre-tax charges for estimated losses on plants under construction of $1.1 billion ($722 million after tax) in 2018, $3.4 billion ($2.4 billion after tax) in 2017, and $428 million ($264 million after tax) in 2016. See Note 2 under "Georgia PowerNuclear Construction" and "Mississippi Power Kemper County Energy FacilitySchedule and Cost Estimate" for additional information.
(c)
Segment net income (loss) for Southern Power includes pre-tax impairment charges of $156 million ($117 million after tax) in 2018. See Note 15 under "Southern PowerDevelopment Projects" and " – Sales of Natural Gas Plants" for additional information.
(d)
Segment net income (loss) for Southern Company Gas includes a net gain on dispositions of $291 million ($51 million loss after tax) in 2018 related to the Southern Company Gas Dispositions and a goodwill impairment charge of $42 million in 2018 related to the sale of Pivotal Home Solutions. See Note 15 under "Southern Company Gas" for additional information.
(e)
Segment net income (loss) for the traditional electric operating companies includes a pre-tax charge for the write-down of Gulf Power's ownership of Plant Scherer Unit 3 of $33 million ($20 million after tax) in 2017. See Note 2 under "Southern CompanyGulf Power" for additional information.
(f)
Segment net income (loss) includes income tax expense of $367 million for the traditional electric operating companies, income tax benefit of $743 million for Southern Power, and income tax expense of $93 million for Southern Company Gas in 2017 related to the Tax Reform Legislation.
Products and Services
Electric Utilities' Revenues
Year
Retail
 
Wholesale
 
Other
 
Total
 
(in millions)
2018
$
15,222

 
$
2,516

 
$
833

 
$
18,571

2017
15,330

 
2,426

 
784

 
18,540

2016
15,234

 
1,926

 
781

 
17,941

Southern Company Gas' Revenues
Year
Gas
Distribution
Operations
 
Gas
Marketing
Services
 
All Other
 
Total
 
(in millions)
2018
$
3,155

 
$
568

 
$
186

 
$
3,909

2017
3,024

 
860

 
36

 
3,920

2016
1,266

 
354

 
32

 
1,652

Southern Company Gas
Southern Company Gas manages its business through four reportable segments - gas distribution operations, gas pipeline investments, wholesale gas services, and gas marketing services. The non-reportable segments are combined and presented as all other. During 2018, Southern Company Gas changed its reportable segments to further align the way its new Chief Operating Decision Maker reviews operating results and has reclassified prior years' data to conform to the new reportable segment presentation. This change resulted in a new reportable segment, gas pipeline investments, which was formerly included in gas midstream operations.
Gas distribution operations is the largest component of Southern Company Gas' business and includes natural gas local distribution utilities that construct, manage, and maintain intrastate natural gas pipelines and gas distribution facilities in four states. In July 2018, Southern Company Gas sold three of its natural gas distribution utilities, Elizabethtown Gas, Elkton Gas, and Florida City Gas. See Note 15 under "Southern Company Gas" for additional information.
Gas pipeline investments consists of joint ventures in natural gas pipeline investments including a 50% interest in SNG, two significant pipeline construction projects, and a 50% joint ownership interest in the Dalton Pipeline. These natural gas pipelines enable the provision of diverse sources of natural gas supplies to the customers of Southern Company Gas. See Notes 5 and 7 for additional information.
Wholesale gas services provides natural gas asset management and/or related logistics services for each of Southern Company Gas' utilities except Nicor Gas as well as for non-affiliated companies. Additionally, wholesale gas services engages in natural gas storage and gas pipeline arbitrage and related activities.
Gas marketing services provides natural gas marketing to end-use customers primarily in Georgia and Illinois through SouthStar. On June 4, 2018, Southern Company Gas sold Pivotal Home Solutions, which provided home equipment protection products and services. See Note 15 under "Southern Company Gas Sale of Pivotal Home Solutions" for additional information.
The all other column includes segments below the quantitative threshold for separate disclosure, including the storage and fuels operations, which was formerly included in gas midstream operations, and the other subsidiaries that fall below the quantitative threshold for separate disclosure.
After the Merger, Southern Company Gas changed the segment performance measure to net income, which is utilized by its parent company. In order to properly assess net income by segment, Southern Company Gas executed various intercompany note agreements to revise interest charges to its segments. Since such agreements did not exist in the predecessor period, Southern Company Gas is unable to provide the comparable net income for that period.
Financial data for business segments for the successor years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, the successor period of July 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016, and the predecessor period of January 1, 2016 through June 30, 2016 were as follows:
 
Gas Distribution Operations(a)(b)
 
Gas Pipeline Investments
 
Wholesale Gas Services(c)
 
Gas Marketing Services(b)(d)
 
Total
 
All Other
 
Eliminations
 
Consolidated
 
(in millions)
Successor – Year ended December 31, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Operating revenues
$
3,186

 
$
32

 
$
144

 
$
568

 
$
3,930

 
$
55

 
$
(76
)
 
$
3,909

Depreciation and
amortization
409

 
5

 
2

 
37

 
453

 
47

 

 
500

Operating income (loss)
904

 
20

 
70

 
19

 
1,013

 
(98
)
 

 
915

Earnings from equity method investments

 
145

 

 

 
145

 
3

 

 
148

Interest expense
(178
)
 
(34
)
 
(9
)
 
(6
)
 
(227
)
 
(1
)
 

 
(228
)
Income taxes (benefit)
409

 
28

 
4

 
54

 
495

 
(31
)
 

 
464

Segment net income (loss)
334

 
103

 
38

 
(40
)
 
435

 
(63
)
 

 
372

Gross property
additions
1,429

 
32

 

 
6

 
1,467

 
54

 

 
1,521

Successor – Total assets
at December 31, 2018
17,266

 
1,763

 
1,302

 
1,587

 
21,918

 
11,112

 
(11,582
)
 
21,448

Successor – Year ended December 31, 2017
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Operating revenues
$
3,207

 
$
17

 
$
6

 
$
860

 
$
4,090

 
$
64

 
$
(234
)
 
$
3,920

Depreciation and
amortization
391

 
2

 
2

 
62

 
457

 
44

 

 
501

Operating income (loss)
645

 
10

 
(51
)
 
113

 
717

 
(57
)
 

 
660

Earnings from equity method
investments

 
103

 

 

 
103

 
3

 

 
106

Interest expense
(153
)
 
(26
)
 
(7
)
 
(5
)
 
(191
)
 
(9
)
 

 
(200
)
Income taxes(e)
178

 
109

 

 
24

 
311

 
56

 

 
367

Segment net income (loss)(e)
353

 
(22
)
 
(57
)
 
84

 
358

 
(115
)
 

 
243

Gross property additions
1,330

 
117

 
1

 
9

 
1,457

 
51

 

 
1,508

Successor – Total assets
at December 31, 2017
19,358

 
1,699

 
1,096

 
2,147

 
24,300

 
12,726

 
(14,039
)
 
22,987

Successor – July 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Operating revenues
$
1,342

 
$
3

 
$
24

 
$
354

 
$
1,723

 
$
31

 
$
(102
)
 
$
1,652

Depreciation and
 amortization
185

 

 
1

 
35

 
221

 
17

 

 
238

Operating income (loss)
225

 
1

 
(2
)
 
27

 
251

 
(52
)
 

 
199

Earnings from equity method
investments

 
58

 

 

 
58

 
2

 

 
60

Interest expense
(105
)
 
(10
)
 
(3
)
 
(1
)
 
(119
)
 
38

 

 
(81
)
Income taxes (benefit)
51

 
21

 
(3
)
 
7

 
76

 

 

 
76

Segment net income (loss)
77

 
29

 

 
19

 
125

 
(11
)
 

 
114

Gross property additions
561

 
51

 
1

 
5

 
618

 
14

 

 
632

Successor – Total assets
at December 31, 2016
19,453

 
1,659

 
1,127

 
2,084

 
24,323

 
11,697

 
(14,167
)
 
21,853

 
Gas Distribution Operations(a)(b)
 
Gas Pipeline Investments
 
Wholesale Gas Services(c)
 
Gas Marketing Services(b)(d)
 
Total
 
All Other
 
Eliminations
 
Consolidated
 
(in millions)
Predecessor – January 1, 2016 through June 30, 2016
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

Operating revenues
$
1,575

 
$
3

 
$
(32
)
 
$
435

 
$
1,981

 
$
26

 
$
(102
)
 
$
1,905

Depreciation and
 amortization
178

 

 
1

 
11

 
190

 
16

 

 
206

Operating income (loss)
353

 
3

 
(69
)
 
109

 
396

 
(73
)
 

 
323

EBIT
353

 
3

 
(68
)
 
109

 
397

 
(69
)
 

 
328

Gross property additions
484

 
40

 
1

 
4

 
529

 
19

 

 
548

(a)
Operating revenues for the three gas distribution operations dispositions were $244 million, $399 million, and $168 million for the successor years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 and the successor period of July 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016, respectively, and $215 million for the predecessor period ended June 30, 2016. See Note 15 under "Southern Company Gas" for additional information.
(b)
Segment net income for gas distribution operations includes a gain on dispositions of $324 million ($16 million after tax) for the year ended December 31, 2018. Segment net income for gas marketing services includes a loss on disposition of $(33) million ($(67) million loss after tax) and a goodwill impairment charge of $42 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 recorded in contemplation of the sale of Pivotal Home Solutions. See Note 15 under "Southern Company Gas" for additional information.
(c)The revenues for wholesale gas services are netted with costs associated with its energy and risk management activities. A reconciliation of operating revenues and intercompany revenues is shown in the following table.
 
Third Party Gross Revenues
 
Intercompany Revenues
 
Total Gross Revenues
 
Less Gross Gas Costs
 
Operating Revenues
 
(in millions)
Successor – Year Ended
December 31, 2018
$
6,955

 
$
451

 
$
7,406

 
$
7,262

 
$
144

Successor – Year Ended
December 31, 2017
6,152

 
481

 
6,633

 
6,627

 
6

Successor – July 1, 2016 through
December 31, 2016
5,807

 
333

 
6,140

 
6,116

 
24

Predecessor – January 1, 2016 through
June 30, 2016
2,500

 
143

 
2,643

 
2,675

 
(32
)
(d)
Operating revenues for the gas marketing services disposition were $55 million, $129 million, and $56 million for the successor years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 and the successor period of July 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016, respectively, and $64 million for the predecessor period ended June 30, 2016 See Note 15 under "Southern Company Gas" for additional information.
(e)
Includes the impact of the Tax Reform Legislation and new income tax apportionment factors in several states resulting from Southern Company Gas' inclusion in the consolidated Southern Company state tax filings.