<ARTICLE> UT
<LEGEND>
This  schedule  contains  summary  financial   information  extracted  from  the
financial  statements  filed as Exhibit 99 and is  qualified  in its entirity by
reference to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>
<CIK> 0000041091
<NAME> GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
<MULTIPLIER> 1,000
       
                         
<PERIOD-TYPE>               YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                      DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-END>                           DEC-31-1996
<BOOK-VALUE>                              PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>               10,353,916
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                259,997
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                   1,109,216
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                 1,347,922
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                   0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                          13,071,051
<COMMON>                                   344,250
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                2,135,257
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                      1,674,774
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>           4,154,281
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                      325,000
<PREFERRED>                                513,639
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                     3,173,927
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                         207,300
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                        0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>             223,196
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>              (60,258)
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                  (49,028)
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                 87,114
<LEASES-CURRENT>                              (364)
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>           4,496,244
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>           13,071,051
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                4,416,779
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                       435,904
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>               3,094,930
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>               3,530,834
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                    885,945
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                         (12,593)
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>             873,352
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                   247,999
<NET-INCOME>                               625,353
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                 45,026
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>              580,327
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                   475,500
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                  209,047
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                   1,386,988
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                    0
<EPS-DILUTED>                                    0