Ownership Submission
FORM 3
 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
OMB APPROVAL
OMB Number: 3235-0104
Expires: January 31, 2005
Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5

(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
  HINSON W RON
 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
03/11/2006		 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
SOUTHERN CO [SO]
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
30 IVAN ALLEN JR. BOULEVARD		 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Comptroller
 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
(Street)

ATLANTA, GA 30308		 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned
(Instr. 4)		 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Southern Company Common Stock 4,144.54
I
By 401(k)
Southern Company Common Stock 1,234.04
I
By ESOP

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. SEC 1473 (7-02)
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Option Right to Buy (1) (2) 02/15/2003 02/15/2012 Southern Company Common Stock 7,724 $ 25.26 D  
Option Right to Buy (1) (2) 02/14/2004 02/14/2013 Southern Company Common Stock 10,576 $ 27.98 D  
Option Right to Buy 02/13/2005 02/13/2014 Southern Company Common Stock 10,384 $ 29.5 D  
Option Right to Buy 02/18/2006 02/18/2015 Southern Company Common Stock 10,574 $ 32.7 D  
Option Right to Buy (1) 02/20/2007 02/20/2016 Southern Company Common Stock 18,717 $ 33.81 D  
Phantom Stock Units (3)   (3)   (3) Southern Company Common Stock 7.09 $ 0 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
HINSON W RON
30 IVAN ALLEN JR. BOULEVARD
ATLANTA, GA 30308		       Comptroller  

Signatures

By: Patricia L. Roberts, Attorney in fact 03/13/2006
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Includes the right to have shares withheld upon exercise to satisfy tax withholding obligations.
(2) Options Vest 33% per year on the anniversary of the grant date.
(3) Includes phantom stock units acquired as if reinvested in the dividend reinvestment plan. There is no exercise or expiration date.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, See Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.