ATLANTA, Dec. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Company, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and other partners today announced $940,000 in grants to restore aquatic habitats and foster growth of freshwater species. The grants will support six projects benefitting at-risk aquatic species within Alabama, Georgia and Florida – where nearly half of the Southern Company system's customers live and play.

Southern Company (PRNewsFoto/Southern Company)

The grants will leverage $1.1 million in matching contributions, generating a total conservation impact of more than $2 million. Awarded through the Southeast Aquatics Fund, the grants are a result of a strategic public-private partnership between NFWF, the USDA Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Southern Company.

"It's a privilege to sponsor projects that recover native aquatic species and restore critical watersheds in the Southeast," said Jeff Burleson, Southern Company's environmental and system planning vice president. "Southern Company is committed to supporting initiatives that enrich the communities we serve by protecting our natural resources for current and future generations."

Southern Company has a long history of partnering with communities, conservation organizations and natural resource agencies to improve local water quality and aquatic habitats. To learn more about Southern Company's commitment to stewardship, including an interactive project map, please visit www.southerncompany.com/corporate-responsibility/environmental-stewardship.html.

About Southern Company
Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is nationally recognized as a leading energy company, with 46,000 megawatts of generating capacity and 1,500 billion cubic feet of combined natural gas consumption and throughput volume serving 9 million customers through its subsidiaries as of December 31, 2017. We operate nearly 200,000 miles of electric transmission and distribution lines and more than 80,000 miles of natural gas pipeline as of December 31, 2017. 

The company provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy through electric operating companies in four states, natural gas distribution companies in seven states, a competitive generation company serving wholesale customers in 11 states across America and a nationally recognized provider of customized energy solutions, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com to learn more.

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SOURCE Southern Company