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Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Fund Investments
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]  
NUCLEAR DECOMMISSIONING TRUST FUND INVESTMENTS
NUCLEAR DECOMMISSIONING TRUST FUND INVESTMENTS
Ameren Missouri has investments in debt and equity securities that are held in a trust fund for the purpose of funding the decommissioning of its Callaway energy center. We have classified these investments as available for sale, and we have recorded all such investments at their fair market value at December 31, 2015, and 2014. See Note 10 – Callaway Energy Center for additional information.
Investments in the nuclear decommissioning trust fund have a target allocation of 60% to 70% in equity securities, with the balance invested in debt securities.
The following table presents proceeds from the sale and maturities of investments in Ameren Missouri’s nuclear decommissioning trust fund and the gross realized gains and losses resulting from those sales for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013:
 
2015
 
2014
 
2013
Proceeds from sales and maturities
$
349

 
$
391

 
$
196

Gross realized gains
8

 
7

 
7

Gross realized losses
2

 
2

 
5


Net realized and unrealized gains and losses are deferred and recorded as a regulatory asset or a regulatory liability on Ameren’s and Ameren Missouri’s balance sheets. This reporting is consistent with the method used to account for the decommissioning costs recovered in rates. Gains or losses associated with assets in the trust fund could result in lower or higher funding requirements for decommissioning costs, which are expected to be reflected in electric rates paid by Ameren Missouri’s customers. See Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters.
The following table presents the costs and fair values of investments in debt and equity securities in Ameren's and Ameren Missouri’s nuclear decommissioning trust fund at December 31, 2015 and 2014:
Security Type
Cost
 
Gross Unrealized Gain
 
Gross Unrealized Loss
 
Fair Value
2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Debt securities
$
191

 
$
2

$
4

 
$
189

Equity securities
147

 
224

 
7

 
364

Cash
4

 

 

 
4

Other(a)
(1
)
 

 

 
(1
)
Total
$
341

 
$
226

$
11

 
$
556

2014
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Debt securities
$
175

 
$
7

$

 
$
182

Equity securities
138

 
230

 
4

 
364

Cash
1

 

 

 
1

Other(a)
2

 

 

 
2

Total
$
316

 
$
237

$
4

 
$
549


(a)
Represents payables relating to pending security purchases, net of receivables related to pending security sales and interest.
The following table presents the costs and fair values of investments in debt securities in Ameren's and Ameren Missouri’s nuclear decommissioning trust fund according to their contractual maturities at December 31, 2015:
 
Cost
 
Fair Value
Less than 5 years
$
106

 
$
105

5 years to 10 years
42

 
41

Due after 10 years
43

 
43

Total
$
191

 
$
189


We have unrealized losses relating to certain available-for-sale investments included in our nuclear decommissioning trust fund, recorded as a regulatory asset as discussed above. Decommissioning will not occur until our nuclear energy center is retired. Ameren Missouri received a license extension from the NRC in March 2015 to extend the Callaway energy center’s operating license to 2044. The following table presents the fair value and the gross unrealized losses of the available-for-sale securities held in Ameren's and Ameren Missouri's nuclear decommissioning trust fund. They are aggregated by investment category and the length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position at December 31, 2015:
  
Less than 12 Months
 
 
12 Months or Greater
 
Total
  
Fair Value
 
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
 
 
Fair Value
 
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
 
Fair Value
 
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
Debt securities
$
136

$
3

 
 
$
4

$
1

 
$
140

$
4

Equity securities
16

 
3

 
 
4

 
4

 
20

 
7

Total
$
152

$
6

 
 
$
8

$
5

 
$
160

$
11