Exhibit 24(a) February 16, 1998 A. W. Dahlberg, W. L. Westbrook, Tommy Chisholm, and Wayne Boston Dear Sirs: The Southern Company proposes to file or join in the filing of statements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, with the Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to the following: (1) the filing of this Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997, (2) the filing of Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K during 1998, and (3) the filing of a registration statement for the Universal Shelf Registration Program. The Southern Company and the undersigned directors and officers of said Company, individually as a director and/or as an officer of the Company, hereby make, constitute and appoint each of you our true and lawful Attorney for each of us and in each of our names, places and steads to sign and cause to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the foregoing said Annual Report on Form 10-K and any appropriate amendment or amendments thereto and any necessary exhibits, said Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and any necessary exhibits, any Current Reports on Form 8-K and any necessary exhibits, and said registration statement and any amendments thereto in connection with the Universal Shelf Registration Program. Yours very truly, THE SOUTHERN COMPANY By /s/A. W. Dahlberg A. W. Dahlberg Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer - 2 - /s/John C. Adams ________________________________ John C. Adams William A. Parker, Jr. /s/A. D. Correll /s/William J. Rushton, III A. D. Correll William J. Rushton, III /s/A. W. Dahlberg /s/Gloria M. Shatto A. W. Dahlberg Gloria M. Shatto /s/Paul J. DeNicola /s/Gerald J. St. Pe' Paul J. DeNicola Gerald J. St. Pe' /s/Jack Edwards /s/Herbert Stockham Jack Edwards Herbert Stockham /s/H. Allen Franklin /s/Stephen A. Wakefield H. Allen Franklin Stephen A. Wakefield /s/Bruce S. Gordon /s/W. L. Westbrook Bruce S. Gordon W. L. Westbrook /s/L. G. Hardman III /s/Tommy Chisholm L. G. Hardman III Tommy Chisholm /s/Elmer B. Harris /s/W. Dean Hudson Elmer B. Harris W. Dean Hudson Extract from minutes of meeting of the board of directors of The Southern Company. - - - - - - - - - - RESOLVED: That for the purpose of signing the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997, and 1998 Form 10-Q's and Form 8-K's and of remedying any deficiencies with respect thereto by appropriate amendment or amendments, this Company, the members of its board of directors, and its officers, are authorized to give their several powers of attorney to A. W. Dahlberg, W. L. Westbrook, Tommy Chisholm, and Wayne Boston. - - - - - - - - - - The undersigned officer of The Southern Company does hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of a resolution duly and regularly adopted at a meeting of the board of directors of The Southern Company, duly held on February 16, 1998, at which a quorum was in attendance and voting throughout, and that said resolution has not since been rescinded but is still in full force and effect. Dated March 25, 1998 THE SOUTHERN COMPANY By /s/Tommy Chisholm Tommy Chisholm Secretary