Southern Company reported first-quarter 2019 earnings of $2.08 billion, or $2.01 per share, compared with earnings of $938 million, or 93 cents per share, in the first quarter of 2018.

Excluding the items described in the "Net Income – Excluding Items" table below, Southern Company earned $730 million, or 70 cents per share, during the first quarter of 2019, compared with $893 million, or 88 cents per share, during the first quarter of 2018. 

NOTE: For more information regarding these non-GAAP adjustments, see the footnotes accompanying the Financial Highlights page of the earnings package.

Earnings drivers year-over-year for the first quarter 2019 were negatively impacted as a result of divested earnings and milder weather at the state-regulated electric utilities.

"Southern Company's major business units are off to a good start for the year," said Chairman, President and CEO Thomas A. Fanning. "I am extremely pleased with our performance year-to-date, and believe we are well-positioned to achieve our financial targets for 2019. In addition, we just completed a review of the Plant Vogtle project and I'm pleased to report that we still expect to meet our targets for cost and the regulatory-approved schedule for the completion of the new nuclear units."

First quarter 2019 operating revenues were $5.41 billion, compared with $6.37 billion for the first quarter of 2018, a decrease of 15.1 percent. This decrease was primarily related to a reduction in revenue resulting from the sale of Gulf Power and other assets that are no longer affiliated with Southern Company.