filings.toolsCover and table of contents
55K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown
Cover and table of contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
| ☒ | Annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 |
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020
OR
| ☐ | Transition report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for the transition period from to |
 |  |  |
| Commission File Number | Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter; State of Incorporation; Address and Telephone Number | IRS Employer Identification No. | ||||||
| 1-14756 | Ameren Corporation | 43-1723446 |
(Missouri Corporation)
1901 Chouteau Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63103
(314) 621-3222
| 1-2967 | Union Electric Company | 43-0559760 |
(Missouri Corporation)
1901 Chouteau Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63103
(314) 621-3222
| 1-3672 | Ameren Illinois Company | 37-0211380 |
(Illinois Corporation)
10 Executive Drive
Collinsville, Illinois 62234
(618) 343-8150
Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
The following security is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
| Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share | AEE | New York Stock Exchange |
Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
| Registrant | Title of each class | |||||||
| Union Electric Company | Preferred Stock, cumulative, no par value, stated value $100 per share | |||||||
| Ameren Illinois Company | Preferred Stock, cumulative, $100 par value Depositary Shares, each representing 1/4 of a share of 6.625% Preferred Stock, cumulative, $100 par value |
Indicate by checkmark if each registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
| Ameren Corporation | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ | ||||||||||
| Union Electric Company | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ | ||||||||||
| Ameren Illinois Company | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ |
Indicate by checkmark if each registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
| Ameren Corporation | Yes | ☐ | No | ☒ | ||||||||||
| Union Electric Company | Yes | ☐ | No | ☒ | ||||||||||
| Ameren Illinois Company | Yes | ☐ | No | ☒ |
Indicate by checkmark whether the registrants: (1) have filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) have been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
| Ameren Corporation | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ | ||||||||||
| Union Electric Company | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ | ||||||||||
| Ameren Illinois Company | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ |
Indicate by checkmark whether each registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
| Ameren Corporation | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ | ||||||||||
| Union Electric Company | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ | ||||||||||
| Ameren Illinois Company | Yes | ☒ | No | ☐ |
Indicate by checkmark whether each registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Ameren Corporation | Large accelerated filer | ☒ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | ||||||||||||||
| Smaller reporting company | ☐ | Emerging growth company | ☐ | |||||||||||||||||
| Union Electric Company | Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | Non-accelerated filer | ☒ | ||||||||||||||
| Smaller reporting company | ☐ | Emerging growth company | ☐ | |||||||||||||||||
| Ameren Illinois Company | Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | Non-accelerated filer | ☒ | ||||||||||||||
| Smaller reporting company | ☐ | Emerging growth company | ☐ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
| Ameren Corporation | ☐ | |||||||||||||
| Union Electric Company | ☐ | |||||||||||||
| Ameren Illinois Company | ☐ |
Indicate by check mark whether each registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
| Ameren Corporation | ☒ | |||||||||||||
| Union Electric Company | ☐ | |||||||||||||
| Ameren Illinois Company | ☐ |
Indicate by checkmark whether each registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).
| Ameren Corporation | Yes | ☐ | No | ☒ | ||||||||||
| Union Electric Company | Yes | ☐ | No | ☒ | ||||||||||
| Ameren Illinois Company | Yes | ☐ | No | ☒ |
As of June 30, 2020, the aggregate market value of Ameren Corporation’s common stock, $0.01 par value, (based upon the closing price of the common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on June 30, 2020) held by nonaffiliates was $17,299,078,950. All of the shares of common stock of the other registrants were held by Ameren Corporation as of June 30, 2020.
The number of shares outstanding of each registrant’s classes of common stock as of January 29, 2021, were as follows:
| Registrant | Title of each class of common stock | Shares | ||||||
| Ameren Corporation | Common stock, $0.01 par value per share | 253,355,105 | ||||||
| Union Electric Company | Common stock, $5 par value per share, held by Ameren Corporation | 102,123,834 | ||||||
| Ameren Illinois Company | Common stock, no par value, held by Ameren Corporation | 25,452,373 |
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the definitive proxy statement of Ameren Corporation and portions of the definitive information statements of Union Electric Company and Ameren Illinois Company for the 2021 annual meetings of shareholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.
This combined Form 10-K is separately filed by Ameren Corporation, Union Electric Company, and Ameren Illinois Company. Each registrant hereto is filing on its own behalf all of the information contained in this annual report that relates to such registrant. Each registrant hereto is not filing any information that does not relate to such registrant, and therefore makes no representation as to any such information.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This report contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements should be read with the cautionary statements and important factors under the heading “Forward-looking Statements.” Forward-looking statements are all statements other than statements of historical fact, including those statements that are identified by the use of the words “anticipates,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “projects,” and similar expressions.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
We use the words “our,” “we” or “us” with respect to certain information that relates to Ameren, Ameren Missouri, and Ameren Illinois, collectively. When appropriate, subsidiaries of Ameren Corporation are named specifically as their various business activities are discussed.
2020 IRP – Integrated Resource Plan, a long-term nonbinding plan that Ameren Missouri filed with the MoPSC in September 2020, which includes Ameren Missouri’s preferred approach for meeting customers’ projected long-term energy needs in a cost-effective manner while maintaining system reliability and achieving a goal of net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
Ameren – Ameren Corporation and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis. In references to financing activities, acquisition activities, or liquidity arrangements, Ameren is defined as Ameren Corporation, the parent.
Ameren Companies – Ameren Corporation, Ameren Missouri, and Ameren Illinois, collectively, which are individual registrants within the Ameren consolidated group.
Ameren Illinois – Ameren Illinois Company, an Ameren Corporation subsidiary that operates rate-regulated electric transmission, electric distribution, and natural gas distribution businesses in Illinois, doing business as Ameren Illinois.
Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution – An Ameren Corporation and Ameren Illinois financial reporting segment consisting of the rate-regulated electric distribution business of Ameren Illinois.
Ameren Illinois Natural Gas – An Ameren Corporation and Ameren Illinois financial reporting segment consisting of the rate-regulated natural gas distribution business of Ameren Illinois.
Ameren Illinois Transmission – An Ameren Illinois financial reporting segment consisting of the rate-regulated electric transmission business of Ameren Illinois.
Ameren Missouri – Union Electric Company, an Ameren Corporation subsidiary that operates a rate-regulated electric generation, transmission, and distribution business and a rate-regulated natural gas distribution business in Missouri, doing business as Ameren Missouri. Ameren Missouri is a financial reporting segment of Ameren.
Ameren Services – Ameren Services Company, an Ameren Corporation subsidiary that provides support services, such as accounting, legal, treasury, and asset management services, to Ameren (parent) and its subsidiaries.
Ameren Transmission – An Ameren Corporation financial reporting segment primarily consisting of the aggregated electric transmission businesses of Ameren Illinois and ATXI.
ARO – Asset retirement obligations.
ATXI – Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois, an Ameren Corporation subsidiary that operates a FERC rate-regulated electric transmission business in the MISO.
Baseload – The minimum amount of electric power delivered or required over a given period of time at a steady rate.
Btu – British thermal unit, a standard unit for measuring the quantity of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
CCR – Coal combustion residuals, which include fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, and flue gas desulfurization materials generated from burning coal to generate electricity.
CCR Rule – Coal Combustion Residuals Rule, a rule promulgated by the EPA that established regulations for the disposal of CCR in landfills and surface impoundments, and the operation and closure of such landfills and surface impoundments.
CO****2 – Carbon dioxide.
COVID-19 pandemic – The global pandemic resulting from the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Customer demand charges – Revenues from nonresidential customers based on their peak demand during a specified time interval.
Cooling degree days – The summation of positive differences between the average daily temperature and a 65-degree Fahrenheit base. This statistic is useful as an indicator of electricity demand by residential and commercial customers for summer cooling.
Credit Agreements – The Illinois Credit Agreement and the Missouri Credit Agreement, collectively.
CSAPR – Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, an EPA rule that requires states that contribute to air pollution in downwind states to limit air emissions from fossil-fuel-fired electric generating units.
CT – Combustion turbine, used primarily for peaking electric generation capacity.
DCA – Delivery charge adjustment, a rate-adjustment mechanism that decouples natural gas revenues from actual sales volumes for Ameren Missouri’s natural gas business and allows Ameren Missouri to adjust customer rates without a traditional regulatory rate review, subject to MoPSC prudence reviews. The decoupling provisions ensure that Ameren Missouri’s natural gas revenues are not affected by changes in sales volumes, including those resulting from deviations from normal weather conditions.
Deferred payment arrangement – A payment option that allows certain Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois retail customers to pay a utility bill balance over a period of time, generally over a period of up to 12 months. On a temporary basis through January 31, 2021, Ameren Illinois’ residential retail customers could have elected to pay a utility bill balance over a period of up to 24 months.
Dekatherm – A standard unit of energy equivalent to approximately one million Btus.
DOE – Department of Energy, a United States government agency.
DRPlus – Ameren Corporation’s dividend reinvestment and direct stock purchase plan.
Electric margins – Electric revenues less fuel and purchased power costs.
EMANI – European Mutual Association for Nuclear Insurance.
EPA – Environmental Protection Agency, a United States government agency.
ERISA – Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
Excess deferred income taxes – Amounts resulting from the revaluation of deferred income taxes subject to regulatory ratemaking, which will be collected from, or returned to, customers. Deferred income taxes are revalued when federal or state income tax rates change, and the offset to the revaluation of deferred income taxes subject to regulatory ratemaking is recorded to a regulatory asset or liability.
Exchange Act – Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
FAC – Fuel adjustment clause, a fuel and purchased power rate-adjustment mechanism that allows Ameren Missouri to recover or refund, through customer rates, 95% of the variance in net energy costs from the amount set in base rates without a traditional regulatory rate review, subject to MoPSC prudence reviews.
FEJA – Future Energy Jobs Act, an Illinois law that allows Ameren Illinois to earn a return on its electric energy-efficiency investments, decouples electric distribution revenues from sales volumes, offers customer rebates for installing distributed generation, and includes extensions and modifications of certain IEIMA performance-based framework provisions, among other things. The decoupling provisions ensure that electric distribution revenues are not affected by changes in sales volumes, including those resulting from deviations from normal weather conditions.
FERC – Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, a United States government agency that regulates utility businesses and associated activities of holding and related service companies, including Ameren, Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois, ATXI, and Ameren Services.
GAAP – Generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.
Heating degree days – The summation of negative differences between the average daily temperature and a 65-degree Fahrenheit base. This statistic is useful as an indicator of demand for electricity and natural gas for winter heating by residential and commercial customers.
ICC – Illinois Commerce Commission, a state agency that regulates Illinois utility businesses, including Ameren Illinois and ATXI.
IEIMA – Illinois Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act, an Illinois law that established a performance-based formula process for determining electric distribution service rates. The formula ratemaking process expires in 2022, unless extended.
Illinois Credit Agreement – Ameren’s and Ameren Illinois’ $1.1 billion senior unsecured credit agreement, which expires in December 2024, unless extended.
IPA – Illinois Power Agency, a state government agency that has broad authority to assist in the procurement of electric power for residential and small commercial customers.
IRS – Internal Revenue Service, a United States government agency.
ISRS – Infrastructure system replacement surcharge, a rate-adjustment mechanism that provides Ameren Missouri’s natural gas business with recovery of, and a return on, qualifying infrastructure investments that are placed in service without a traditional regulatory rate review, subject to MoPSC prudence reviews.
Kilowatthour – A measure of electricity consumption equivalent to the use of 1,000 watts of power over one hour.
MATS – Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, an EPA rule that limits emissions of mercury and other air toxics from coal- and oil-fired electric generating units.
MEEIA – A rate-adjustment mechanism allowed under the Missouri Energy Efficiency Investment Act, a Missouri law that allows electric utilities to recover costs related to MoPSC-approved customer energy-efficiency programs without a traditional regulatory rate review, subject to MoPSC prudence reviews.
MEEIA 2013 – Ameren Missouri’s portfolio of customer energy-efficiency programs, recovery of lost electric margins, and performance incentive for 2013 through 2015, pursuant to Missouri law, as approved by the MoPSC in August 2012.
MEEIA 2016 – Ameren Missouri’s portfolio of customer energy-efficiency programs, recovery of lost electric margins, and performance incentive for March 2016 through February 2019, pursuant to Missouri law, as approved by the MoPSC in February 2016.
MEEIA 2019 – Ameren Missouri’s portfolio of customer energy-efficiency programs, recovery of lost electric margins, and performance incentive for March 2019 through December 2024, pursuant to Missouri law, as approved by the MoPSC in December 2018.
Megawatthour or MWh – One thousand kilowatthours.
MGP – Manufactured gas plant.
MISO – Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc., an RTO.
Missouri Credit Agreement – Ameren’s and Ameren Missouri’s $1.2 billion senior unsecured credit agreement, which expires in December 2024, unless extended.
Missouri Environmental Authority – Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Authority of the state of Missouri, a governmental body authorized to finance environmental projects by issuing tax-exempt bonds and notes.
Mmbtu – One million Btus.
Money pool – Borrowing agreements among Ameren and its subsidiaries to coordinate and provide for certain short-term cash and working capital requirements.
Moody’s – Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., a credit rating agency.
MoPSC – Missouri Public Service Commission, a state agency that regulates Missouri utility businesses, including Ameren Missouri.
MTM – Mark-to-market.
MW – Megawatt.
Native load – End-use retail customers whom we are obligated to serve by statute, franchise, contract, or other regulatory requirement.
Natural gas margins – Natural gas revenues less natural gas purchased for resale.
NAV – Net asset value per share.
NEIL – Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited, which includes all of its affiliated companies.
NERC – North American Electric Reliability Corporation.
Net energy costs – Net energy costs, as defined in the FAC, which include fuel, certain fuel additives, ash disposal costs and revenues, emission allowances, and purchased power costs, including transportation, net of off-system sales and capacity revenues. Substantially all transmission revenues and charges are excluded from net energy costs. The MoPSC’s March 2020 electric rate order changed the FAC to include certain fuel additives and ash disposal costs and revenues, as of April 1, 2020.
Net metering – Net metering allows customers who generate their own electricity or subscribe to receive output from eligible facilities to feed electricity they do not use back into the grid. The customers receive a credit for the energy they add to the grid.
NO****x – Nitrogen oxides.
NPNS – Normal purchases and normal sales.
NRC – Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a United States government agency that regulates commercial nuclear power plants and uses of nuclear materials.
NSPS – New Source Performance Standards, provisions under the Clean Air Act.
NSR – New Source Review provisions of the Clean Air Act, which include Nonattainment New Source Review and Prevention of Significant Deterioration regulations.
NYSE – New York Stock Exchange, LLC.
OCI – Other comprehensive income (loss) as defined by GAAP.
Off-system sales revenues – Revenues from other than native load sales, including wholesale sales.
PGA – Purchased gas adjustment tariffs, a rate-adjustment mechanism that permits prudently incurred natural gas costs to be recovered directly from utility customers without a traditional regulatory rate review, subject to regulatory prudence reviews.
PHMSA – Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
PISA – Plant-in-service accounting regulatory mechanism, an election under Missouri law that permits electric utilities to defer and recover 85% of the depreciation expense and earn a return at the applicable WACC on rate base for certain property, plant, and equipment placed in service after the PISA election date, subject to MoPSC prudence reviews. The rate base on which the return is calculated incorporates qualifying capital expenditures since the PISA election date as well as changes in total accumulated depreciation excluding retirements and plant-related deferred income taxes. The regulatory asset for accumulated PISA deferrals earns a return at the applicable WACC. The PISA was elected by Ameren Missouri, effective September 1, 2018, and is effective through December 2023, unless extended by the MoPSC.
QIP – Qualifying infrastructure plant, a rate-adjustment mechanism that provides Ameren Illinois’ natural gas business with recovery of, and a return on, qualifying infrastructure plant investments that are placed in service between regulatory rate reviews, subject to ICC prudence reviews. Without legislative action, the QIP will expire in December 2023.
Rate base – The basis on which a public utility is permitted to earn a WACC. This basis is the net investment in assets used to provide utility service, which generally consists of in-service property, plant, and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and accumulated deferred income taxes, inventories, and, depending on jurisdiction, construction work in progress.
Regulatory lag – The exposure to differences in costs incurred and actual sales volumes as compared with the associated amounts included in customer rates. Rate increase requests in traditional regulatory rate reviews can take up to 11 months to be acted upon by the MoPSC and the ICC. As a result, revenue increases authorized by regulators will lag changing costs and sales volumes when based on historical periods.
RESRAM – Renewable energy standard rate-adjustment mechanism, a regulatory mechanism allowed under Missouri law that enables Ameren Missouri to recover costs relating to compliance with Missouri’s renewable energy standard, including recovery of investments in wind generation and other renewables, and earn a return at the applicable WACC on those investments not already provided for in customer rates or any other recovery mechanism by adjusting customer rates on an annual basis without a traditional regulatory rate review, subject to MoPSC prudence reviews. RESRAM regulatory assets will earn carrying costs at short-term interest rates.
Revenue requirement – The cost of providing utility service to customers, which is calculated as the sum of a utility’s recoverable operating expenses, a return at the weighted-average cost of capital on rate base, and an amount for income taxes, based on the currently applicable statutory income tax rates and amortization associated with excess deferred income taxes.
RF****P – Request for proposal.
Rider – a rate-adjustment mechanism that allows for the recovery or refund of differences between actual costs incurred and base level expenses included in customer rates without a traditional regulatory rate review.
ROE – Return on common equity.
RTO – Regional transmission organization.
S&P – S&P Global Ratings, a credit rating agency.
SEC – Securities and Exchange Commission, a United States government agency.
SERC – SERC Reliability Corporation, one of the regional electric reliability councils organized for coordinating the planning and operation of the nation’s bulk power supply.
Smart Energy Plan – Ameren Missouri’s plan to upgrade Missouri’s electric grid through at least 2024, which assumes continuation of the PISA. Upgrades include investments to improve reliability and accommodate more renewable energy.
SO****2 – Sulfur dioxide.
STEM – Science, technology, engineering, and math.
TCJA – The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, federal income tax legislation enacted in December 2017, which significantly changed the tax laws applicable to business entities. The TCJA includes specific provisions related to regulated public utilities. Substantially all of the provisions of the TCJA affecting the Ameren Companies, other than certain transition depreciation rules, were effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017.
Test year – The selected period of time, typically a 12-month period, for which a utility’s historical or forecasted operating results are used to determine the revenue requirement in a regulatory rate review.
Tracker – a regulatory recovery mechanism that allows for the deferral of differences between actual costs incurred and base level expenses included in customer rates as a regulatory asset or liability. The difference is included in base rates and recovered from, or refunded to, customers over a period of time as determined in a subsequent regulatory rate review.
TSR – Total shareholder return, the cumulative return of a common stock or index over a specified period of time assuming all dividends are reinvested.
VBA – Volume balancing adjustment, a rate-adjustment mechanism for Ameren Illinois’ natural gas business that decouples natural gas revenues from actual sales volumes and allows Ameren Illinois to adjust customer rates without a traditional regulatory rate review, subject to ICC prudence reviews. The decoupling provisions ensure that Ameren Illinois’ natural gas revenues are not affected by changes in sales volumes, including those resulting from deviations from normal weather conditions, for residential and small nonresidential customers.
WACC – Weighted-average cost of capital, which is the weighted-average cost of debt and equity, as allowed by the applicable regulator.
Zero emission credit – A credit that represents the environmental attributes of one MWh of energy produced from certain zero emissions nuclear-powered generation facilities, which certain Illinois utilities are required to purchase pursuant to the FEJA.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements in this report not based on historical facts are considered “forward-looking” and, accordingly, involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed. Although such forward-looking statements have been made in good faith and are based on reasonable assumptions, there is no assurance that the expected results will be achieved. These statements include (without limitation) statements as to future expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, strategies, objectives, events, conditions, and financial performance. In connection with the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, we are providing this cautionary statement to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. The following factors, in addition to those discussed within Risk Factors under Part I, Item 1A, of this report, and elsewhere in this report and in our other filings with the SEC, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations suggested in such forward-looking statements:
- regulatory, judicial, or legislative actions, and any changes in regulatory policies and ratemaking determinations, that may change regulatory recovery mechanisms, such as those that may result from potential future orders and the July 2020 appeal filed by Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois, and ATXI challenging the refund period related to the May 2020 FERC order determining the allowed base ROE under the MISO tariff, the July 2020 appeal filed by Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois, and ATXI challenging the FERC’s rehearing denials in the transmission formula rate revision cases, Ameren Illinois’ electric distribution service rate reconciliation request filed with the ICC in April 2020, Ameren Illinois’ QIP reconciliation hearing with the ICC requested in March 2019, and requests filed with the MoPSC in October 2020 for accounting authority orders related to Ameren Missouri’s electric and natural gas services to allow Ameren Missouri to accumulate certain costs incurred related to the COVID-19 pandemic;
*•*the length and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impacts on our business continuity plans and our results of operations, financial position, and liquidity, including but not limited to changes in customer demand resulting in changes to sales volumes, customers’ payment for our services and their use of deferred payment arrangements, future regulatory or legislative actions that could require suspension of customer disconnections and/or late fees, among other things, for an extended period of time, the health and welfare of our workforce and contractors, supplier disruptions, delays in the completion of construction projects, which could impact our planned capital expenditures and expected planned rate base growth, Ameren Missouri’s ability to recover any forgone customer late fee revenues or incremental costs, our ability to meet customer energy-efficiency program goals and earn performance incentives related to those programs, changes in how we operate our business and increased data security risks as a result of the transition to remote working arrangements for a significant portion of our workforce, and our ability to access the capital markets on reasonable terms and when needed;
-
the effect and duration of Ameren Illinois’ election to participate in performance-based formula ratemaking framework for its electric distribution service, which, unless extended, expires at the end of 2022, and its participation in electric energy-efficiency programs, including the direct relationship between Ameren Illinois’ ROE and the 30-year United States Treasury bond yields;
-
the effect on Ameren Missouri of any customer rate caps pursuant to Ameren Missouri’s election to use the PISA, including an extension of use beyond 2023, if requested by Ameren Missouri and approved by the MoPSC;
-
the effects of changes in federal, state, or local laws and other governmental actions, including monetary, fiscal, and energy policies;
-
the effects of changes in federal, state, or local tax laws, regulations, interpretations, or rates, and challenges to the tax positions taken by the Ameren Companies, if any, as well as resulting effects on customer rates;
-
the effects on energy prices and demand for our services resulting from technological advances, including advances in customer energy efficiency, electric vehicles, electrification of various industries, energy storage, and private generation sources, which generate electricity at the site of consumption and are becoming more cost-competitive;
-
the effectiveness of Ameren Missouri’s customer energy-efficiency programs and the related revenues and performance incentives earned under its MEEIA programs;
-
Ameren Illinois’ ability to achieve the performance standards applicable to its electric distribution business and the FEJA electric customer energy-efficiency goals and the resulting impact on its allowed ROE;
-
our ability to control costs and make substantial investments in our businesses, including our ability to recover costs, investments, and our allowed ROEs within frameworks established by our regulators, while maintaining affordability of our services for our customers;
-
the cost and availability of fuel, such as low-sulfur coal, natural gas, and enriched uranium used to produce electricity; the cost and availability of purchased power, zero emission credits, renewable energy credits, and natural gas for distribution; and the level and volatility of future market prices for such commodities and credits;
-
disruptions in the delivery of fuel, failure of our fuel suppliers to provide adequate quantities or quality of fuel, or lack of adequate inventories of fuel, including nuclear fuel assemblies from the one NRC-licensed supplier of Ameren Missouri’s Callaway Energy Center assemblies;
-
the cost and availability of transmission capacity for the energy generated by Ameren Missouri’s energy centers or required to satisfy Ameren Missouri’s energy sales;
-
the effectiveness of our risk management strategies and our use of financial and derivative instruments;
-
the ability to obtain sufficient insurance, including insurance for Ameren Missouri’s nuclear and coal-fired energy centers, or, in the absence of insurance, the ability to timely recover uninsured losses from our customers;
-
the impact of cyberattacks on us or our suppliers, which could, among other things, result in the loss of operational control of energy centers and electric and natural gas transmission and distribution systems and/or the loss of data, such as customer, employee, financial, and operating system information;
-
business and economic conditions, which have been affected by, and will be affected by the length and severity of, the COVID-19 pandemic, including the impact of such conditions on interest rates;
-
disruptions of the capital markets, deterioration in credit metrics of the Ameren Companies, or other events that may have an adverse effect on the cost or availability of capital, including short-term credit and liquidity;
-
the actions of credit rating agencies and the effects of such actions, including any impacts on our credit ratings that may result from the economic conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic;
-
the inability of our counterparties to meet their obligations with respect to contracts, credit agreements, and financial instruments, including as it relates to the construction and acquisition of electric and natural gas utility infrastructure and the ability of counterparties to complete projects which is dependent upon the availability of necessary materials and equipment, including those that are affected by the disruptions in the global supply chain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic;
-
the impact of weather conditions and other natural phenomena on us and our customers, including the impact of system outages and the level of wind and solar resources;
-
the construction, installation, performance, and cost recovery of generation, transmission, and distribution assets;
-
the effects of failures of electric generation, electric and natural gas transmission or distribution, or natural gas storage facilities systems and equipment, which could result in unanticipated liabilities or unplanned outages;
-
the operation of Ameren Missouri’s Callaway Energy Center, including planned and unplanned outages, such as the current outage that began in December 2020 related to its generator, and the ability to recover costs associated with such outages and the impact of such outages on off-system sales and purchased power, among other things;
-
Ameren Missouri’s ability to recover the remaining investment and decommissioning costs associated with the retirement of an energy center, as well as the ability to earn a return on that remaining investment and those decommissioning costs;
-
the impact of current environmental laws and new, more stringent, or changing requirements, including those related to NSR and CO2, other emissions and discharges, cooling water intake structures, CCR, and energy efficiency, that could limit or terminate the operation of certain of Ameren Missouri’s energy centers, increase our operating costs or investment requirements, result in an impairment of our assets, cause us to sell our assets, reduce our customers’ demand for electricity or natural gas, or otherwise have a negative financial effect;
-
the impact of complying with renewable energy standards in Missouri and Illinois and with the zero emission standard in Illinois;
-
Ameren Missouri’s ability to construct and/or acquire wind, solar, and other renewable energy generation facilities, retire energy centers, and implement new or existing customer energy efficiency programs, including any such construction, acquisition, retirement, or implementation in connection with its Smart Energy Plan, the 2020 IRP, or our emissions reduction goals, and to recover its cost of investment, related return, and, in the case of customer energy-efficiency programs, any lost margins in a timely manner, which is affected by the ability to obtain all necessary regulatory and project approvals, including a certificate of convenience and necessity from the MoPSC or any other required approvals for the addition of renewable resources;
-
the availability of federal production and investment tax credits related to renewable energy and Ameren Missouri’s ability to use such credits; the cost of wind, solar, and other renewable generation and storage technologies; and our ability to obtain timely interconnection agreements with the MISO or other RTOs at an acceptable cost for each facility;
-
advancements in carbon-free generation and storage technologies, and constructive federal and state energy and economic policies with respect to those technologies;
-
labor disputes, work force reductions, changes in future wage and employee benefits costs, including those resulting from changes in discount rates, mortality tables, returns on benefit plan assets, and other assumptions;
-
the impact of negative opinions of us or our utility services that our customers, investors, legislators, or regulators may have or develop, which could result from a variety of factors, including failures in system reliability, failure to implement our investment plans or to protect sensitive customer information, increases in rates, negative media coverage, or concerns about environmental, social, and/or governance practices;
-
the impact of adopting new accounting guidance;
-
the effects of strategic initiatives, including mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures;
-
legal and administrative proceedings; and
-
acts of sabotage, war, terrorism, or other intentionally disruptive acts.
New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all of such factors, nor can it assess the impact of each such factor on the business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained or implied in any forward-looking statement. Given these uncertainties, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements. Except to the extent required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or future events.
PART I