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Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Ameren, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a public utility holding company whose primary assets are its equity interests in its subsidiaries. Ameren’s subsidiaries are separate, independent legal entities with separate businesses, assets, and liabilities. Dividends on Ameren’s common stock and the payment of expenses by Ameren depend on distributions made to it by its subsidiaries. Ameren’s principal subsidiaries are listed below. Ameren also has other subsidiaries that conduct other activities, such as providing shared services.

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Union Electric Company, doing business as Ameren Missouri, operates a rate-regulated electric generation, transmission, and distribution business and a rate-regulated natural gas distribution business in Missouri. Ameren Missouri was incorporated in Missouri in 1922 and is successor to a number of companies, the oldest of which was organized in 1881. It is the largest electric utility in the state of Missouri. It supplies electric and natural gas service to a 24,000-square-mile area in central and eastern Missouri, which includes the Greater St. Louis area. Ameren Missouri supplies electric service to 1.2 million customers and natural gas service to 0.1 million customers.

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Ameren Illinois Company, doing business as Ameren Illinois, operates rate-regulated electric transmission, electric distribution, and natural gas distribution businesses in Illinois. Ameren Illinois was incorporated in Illinois in 1923 and is the successor to a number of companies, the oldest of which was organized in 1902. Ameren Illinois supplies electric and natural gas utility service to a 43,700 square mile area in central and southern Illinois. Ameren Illinois supplies electric service to 1.2 million customers and natural gas service to 0.8 million customers.

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Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois, doing business as ATXI, operates a FERC rate-regulated electric transmission business in the MISO. ATXI was incorporated in Illinois in 2006. ATXI is constructing the Illinois Rivers project, a MISO-approved electric transmission project, and eight of its nine line segments have been completed and placed in service as of December 31, 2018. ATXI operates the Spoon River project and the Mark Twain project, which were placed in service in February 2018 and December 2019, respectively.

Ameren’s financial statements are prepared on a consolidated basis and therefore include the accounts of its majority-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated, except as disclosed in Note 13 – Related-party Transactions. Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois have no subsidiaries. All tabular dollar amounts are in millions, unless otherwise indicated.

Our accounting policies conform to GAAP. Our financial statements reflect all adjustments (which include normal, recurring adjustments) that are necessary, in our opinion, for a fair presentation of our results. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions. Such estimates and assumptions affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Public Utilities

Regulation

Our customer rates are regulated by the MoPSC, the ICC, and the FERC. We defer certain costs as assets pursuant to actions of rate regulators or because of expectations that we will be able to recover such costs in future rates charged to customers. We also defer certain amounts as liabilities pursuant to actions of rate regulators or based on the expectation that such amounts will be returned to customers in future rates. Regulatory assets and liabilities are amortized consistent with the period of expected regulatory treatment. See Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters for additional information on our regulatory frameworks, regulatory recovery mechanisms, and regulatory assets and liabilities recorded at December 31, 2019 and 2018.

We continually assess the recoverability of our respective regulatory assets. Regulatory assets are charged to earnings when it is no longer probable that such amounts will be recovered through future revenues. To the extent that reductions in customers’ rates or refunds to customers related to regulatory liabilities are no longer probable, the amounts are credited to earnings.

Environmental Costs

Liabilities for environmental costs are recorded on an undiscounted basis when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated. Costs are expensed or deferred as a regulatory asset when it is expected that the costs will be recovered from customers in future rates. See Note 14 – Commitments and Contingencies for additional information on liabilities for environmental costs.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash

Cash and cash equivalents include short-term, highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less. Cash and cash equivalents subject to legal or contractual restrictions and not readily available for use for general corporate purposes are classified as restricted cash. See Note 15 – Supplemental Information for a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash

reported within the balance sheets and the statements of cash flows.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable

The allowance for doubtful accounts represents our estimate of existing accounts receivable that will ultimately be uncollectible. The allowance is calculated by applying estimated loss factors to various classes of outstanding receivables, including unbilled revenue. The loss factors used to estimate uncollectible accounts are based upon both historical collections experience and management’s estimate of future collections success given the existing and anticipated future collections environment. Ameren Illinois has a bad debt rider that adjusts rates for net write-offs of customer accounts receivable above or below those being collected in rates.

Materials and Supplies

Inventories

Inventories are recorded at the lower of weighted-average cost or net realizable value. Inventories are capitalized when purchased and then expensed as consumed or capitalized as property, plant, and equipment when installed, as appropriate. See Note 15 – Supplemental Information for the components of inventories.

Property and Plant

Property, Plant, and Equipment, Net

We capitalize the cost of additions to, and betterments of, units of property, plant, and equipment. The cost includes labor, material, applicable taxes, and overhead. An allowance for funds used during construction, as discussed below, is also capitalized as a cost of our rate-regulated assets. Maintenance expenditures are expensed as incurred. Beginning in 2020, maintenance expenses related to scheduled Callaway nuclear refueling and maintenance outages, which were previously expensed as incurred, are deferred and amortized over approximately 18 months. See Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters for additional information. When units of depreciable property are retired, the original costs, and the associated removal cost, net of salvage, are charged to accumulated depreciation. If environmental expenditures are related to assets currently in use, as in the case of the installation of pollution control equipment, the cost is capitalized and depreciated over the expected life of the asset. See Asset Retirement Obligations section below and Note 3 – Property, Plant, and Equipment, Net for additional information.

Ameren Missouri’s cost of nuclear fuel is capitalized as a part of “Property, Plant, and Equipment, Net” on the balance sheet and then amortized to “Operating Expenses – Fuel” in the statement of income on a unit-of-production basis.

Depreciation

Depreciation is provided over the estimated lives of the various classes of depreciable property by applying composite rates on a straight-line basis to the cost basis of such property. The composite rates include a provision for the estimated removal cost of property, plant, and equipment retired from service, net of salvage. The provision for depreciation for the Ameren Companies in 2019, 2018, and 2017 ranged from 3% to 4% of the average depreciable cost. See Note 3 – Property, Plant, and Equipment, Net for additional information on estimated depreciable lives.

Allowance for Funds Used During Construction

Allowance for Funds Used During Construction

As a part of "Property, Plant, and Equipment, Net" on the balance sheet, we capitalize allowance for funds used during construction, which is the cost of borrowed funds and the cost of equity funds (preferred and common shareholders' equity) applicable to eligible rate-regulated construction work in progress, in accordance with the utility industry’s accounting practice and GAAP. The amount of allowance for funds used during construction is calculated using a FERC-prescribed formula based on a rate, which includes the average cost of short-term debt, the average cost of long-term debt, and the cost of equity funds. The portion attributable to borrowed funds is recorded as a reduction of "Interest Charges" on the statements of income. The portion attributable to equity funds is recorded within "Other Income, Net" on the statements of income. This accounting practice offsets the effect on earnings of the cost of financing during construction. See Note 15 – Supplemental Information for the amount of allowance for funds used during construction capitalized and the average rate applied to eligible construction work in progress.

Allowance for funds used during construction does not represent a current source of cash funds. Under accepted ratemaking practice, cash recovery of allowance for funds used during construction and other construction costs occurs when completed projects are placed in service and reflected in customer rates.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price of an acquisition over the fair value of the net assets acquired. Ameren and Ameren Illinois had goodwill of $411 million at December 31, 2019 and 2018. Ameren has four reporting units: Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution, Ameren Illinois Natural Gas, and Ameren Transmission. Ameren Illinois has three reporting units: Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution, Ameren Illinois Natural Gas, and Ameren Illinois Transmission. Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution, Ameren Illinois

Natural Gas, and Ameren Illinois Transmission had goodwill of $238 million, $80 million, and $93 million, respectively, at December 31, 2019 and 2018. The Ameren Transmission reporting unit had the same $93 million of goodwill as the Ameren Illinois Transmission reporting unit at December 31, 2019 and 2018.

Ameren and Ameren Illinois evaluate goodwill for impairment in each of their reporting units as of October 31 each year, or more frequently if events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of their reporting units below their carrying amounts. To determine whether the fair value of a reporting unit is more likely than not greater than its carrying amount, Ameren and Ameren Illinois elect to perform either a qualitative assessment or to bypass the qualitative assessment and perform a quantitative test.

Ameren and Ameren Illinois elected to perform a qualitative assessment for their annual goodwill impairment test conducted as of October 31, 2019. As part of this qualitative assessment, Ameren and Ameren Illinois evaluated, among other things, macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations such as observable industry market multiples, regulatory frameworks, cost factors, overall financial performance, and entity-specific events. The results of Ameren’s and Ameren Illinois’ qualitative assessment indicated that it was more likely than not that the fair value of each reporting unit exceeded its carrying value as of October 31, 2019, resulting in no impairment of Ameren’s or Ameren Illinois’ goodwill.

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

We evaluate long-lived assets classified as held and used for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of such assets may not be recoverable. Whether an impairment has occurred is determined by comparing the estimated undiscounted cash flows attributable to the assets to the carrying value of the assets. If the carrying value exceeds the undiscounted cash flows, we recognize an impairment charge equal to the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value of the assets. In the period in which we determine that an asset meets held for sale criteria, we record an impairment charge to the extent the book value exceeds its estimated fair value less cost to sell. We did not identify any events or changes in circumstances that indicated that the carrying value of long-lived assets may not be recoverable in 2019 or 2018.

Consolidation, Variable Interest Entity, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Variable Interest Entities

As of December 31, 2019, Ameren and Ameren Missouri had interests in unconsolidated variable interest entities that were established to construct wind generation facilities and, ultimately, sell those constructed facilities to Ameren Missouri. Neither Ameren nor Ameren Missouri are the primary beneficiary of these variable interest entities because neither has the power to direct matters that most significantly affect the entities’ activities, which include designing, financing, and constructing the wind generation facilities. As a result, these variable interest entities are not required to be consolidated. As of December 31, 2019, the maximum exposure to loss related to these variable interest entities was approximately $13 million, which primarily represents legal costs incurred. The risk of a loss was assessed to be remote and, accordingly, Ameren and Ameren Missouri have not recognized a liability associated with any portion of the maximum exposure to loss. See Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters for additional information on the agreements to acquire these wind generation facilities.

As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, Ameren had unconsolidated variable interests as a limited partner in various equity method investments, totaling $28 million and $22 million, respectively, included in “Other assets” on Ameren’s consolidated balance sheet. Ameren is not the primary beneficiary of these investments because it does not have the power to direct matters that most significantly affect the activities of these variable interest entities. As of December 31, 2019, the maximum exposure to loss related to these variable interest entities is limited to the investment in these partnerships of $28 million plus associated outstanding funding commitments of $35 million.

Asset Retirement Obligations

Asset Retirement Obligations

We record the estimated fair value of legal obligations associated with the retirement of tangible long-lived assets in the period in which the liabilities are incurred and capitalize a corresponding amount as part of the book value of the related long-lived asset. In subsequent periods, we adjust AROs for accretion and based on changes in the estimated fair values of the obligations with a corresponding increase or decrease in the asset book value. Asset book values, reflected within “Property, Plant, and Equipment, Net” on the balance sheet, are depreciated over the remaining useful life of the related asset. Due to regulatory recovery, that depreciation is deferred as a regulatory balance. The depreciation of the asset book values at Ameren Missouri was $18 million, $14 million, and $26 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively, which was deferred as a reduction to the net regulatory liability. The net regulatory liability also reflects deferrals of net realized and unrealized gains and losses within the nuclear decommissioning trust fund for the Callaway Energy

Center. The depreciation deferred to the regulatory asset at Ameren Illinois was immaterial in each respective period. Uncertainties as to the probability, timing, or amount of cash expenditures associated with AROs affect our estimates of fair value. Ameren and Ameren Missouri have recorded AROs for retirement costs associated with Ameren Missouri’s Callaway Energy Center decommissioning, CCR facilities, and river structures. Also, Ameren, Ameren Missouri, and Ameren Illinois have recorded AROs for retirement costs associated with asbestos removal and the disposal of certain transformers. See Note 15 – Supplemental Information for a reconciliation of the beginning and ending carrying amount of AROs.

Estimated funds collected from customers to pay for the future removal cost of property, plant, and equipment retired from service, net of salvage, represent a cost of removal regulatory liability. See the cost of removal regulatory liability balance in Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters.

Life Insurance, Corporate or Bank Owned [Text Block]

Company-owned Life Insurance

Ameren and Ameren Illinois have company-owned life insurance, which is recorded at the net cash surrender value. The net cash surrender value is the amount that can be realized under the insurance policies at the balance sheet date. As of December 31, 2019, the cash surrender value of company-owned life insurance at Ameren and Ameren Illinois was $264 million (December 31, 2018 – $244 million) and $123 million (December 31, 2018 – $122 million), respectively, while total borrowings against the policies were $114 million (December 31, 2018 – $113 million) at both Ameren and Ameren Illinois. Ameren and Ameren Illinois have the right to offset the borrowings against the cash surrender value of the policies and, consequently, present the net asset in “Other assets” on their respective balance sheets. The net cash surrender value of Ameren’s company-owned life insurance is affected by the investment performance of a separate account in which Ameren holds a beneficial interest.

Operating Revenues

We record revenues from contracts with customers for various electric and natural gas services, which primarily consist of retail distribution, electric transmission, and off-system arrangements. When more than one performance obligation exists in a contract, the consideration under the contract is allocated to the performance obligations based on the relative standalone selling price.

Electric and natural gas retail distribution revenues are earned when the commodity is delivered to our customers. We accrue an estimate of electric and natural gas retail distribution revenues for service provided but unbilled at the end of each accounting period.

Electric transmission revenues are earned as electric transmission services are provided.

Off-system revenues are primarily comprised of MISO revenues and wholesale bilateral revenues. MISO revenues include the sale of electricity, capacity, and ancillary services. Wholesale bilateral revenues include the sale of electricity and capacity. MISO-related electricity and wholesale bilateral electricity revenues are earned as electricity is delivered. MISO-related capacity and ancillary service revenues and wholesale bilateral capacity revenues are earned as services are provided.

Retail distribution, electric transmission, and off-system revenues, including the underlying components described above, represent a series of goods or services that are substantially the same and have the same pattern of transfer over time to our customers. Revenues from contracts with customers are equal to the amounts billed and our estimate of electric and natural gas retail distribution services provided but unbilled at the end of each accounting period. Customers are billed at least monthly, and payments are due less than one month after goods and/or services are provided. See Note 16 – Segment Information for disaggregated revenue information.

For certain regulatory recovery mechanisms that are alternative revenue programs rather than revenues from contracts with customers, we recognize revenues that have been authorized for rate recovery, are objectively determinable and probable of recovery, and are expected to be collected from customers within two years from the end of the year. Our alternative revenue programs include revenue requirement reconciliations, the MEEIA, and the VBA. These revenues are subsequently recognized as revenues from contracts with customers when billed, with an offset to alternative revenue program revenues.

As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, our remaining performance obligations were immaterial. The Ameren Companies elected not to disclose the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to the performance obligations that are unsatisfied as of the end of the reporting period for contracts with an initial expected term of one year or less.

Accounting for MISO Transactions

MISO-related purchase and sale transactions are recorded by Ameren, Ameren Missouri, and Ameren Illinois using settlement information provided by the MISO. Ameren Missouri records these purchase and sale transactions on a net hourly position. Ameren Missouri records net purchases in a single hour in “Operating Expenses – Purchased power” and net sales in a single hour in “Operating Revenues – Electric” in its statement of income. Ameren Illinois records net purchases in “Operating Expenses – Purchased power” in its statement of

income to reflect all of its MISO transactions relating to the procurement of power for its customers. On occasion, Ameren Missouri’s and Ameren Illinois’ prior-period transactions will be resettled outside the routine settlement process because of a change in the MISO’s tariff or a material interpretation thereof. In these cases, Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois recognize revenues and expenses associated with resettlements once the resettlement is probable and the resettlement amount can be estimated. There were no material MISO resettlements in 2019, 2018, or 2017.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-based Compensation

Stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award, net of an assumed forfeiture rate. Ameren recognizes as compensation expense the estimated fair value of stock-based compensation on a straight-line basis over the requisite vesting period. See Note 11 – Stock-based Compensation for additional information.

Unamortized Debt Discount, Premium, And Expense

Unamortized Debt Discounts, Premiums, and Issuance Costs

Long-term debt discounts, premiums, and issuance costs are amortized over the lives of the related issuances. Credit agreement fees are amortized over the term of the agreement.

Income Taxes

Ameren uses an asset and liability approach for its financial accounting and reporting of income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for transactions that are treated differently for financial reporting and income tax return purposes. These deferred tax assets and liabilities are based on statutory tax rates.

We expect that regulators will reduce future revenues for deferred tax liabilities that were initially recorded at rates in excess of the current statutory rate. Therefore, reductions in certain deferred tax liabilities that were recorded because of decreases in the statutory rate have been credited to a regulatory liability. A regulatory asset has been established to recognize the probable recovery through future customer rates of tax benefits related to the equity component of allowance for funds used during construction, as well as the effects of tax rate increases. To the extent deferred tax balances are included in rate base, the revaluation of deferred taxes is recorded as a regulatory asset or liability on the balance sheet and will be collected from, or refunded to, customers. For deferred tax balances not included in rate base, the revaluation of deferred taxes is recorded as an adjustment to income tax expense on the income statement. See Note 12 – Income Taxes for further information regarding the revaluation of deferred taxes related to the TCJA and Missouri and Illinois state corporate income tax rate changes.

Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois, and all the other Ameren subsidiary companies are parties to a tax allocation agreement with Ameren (parent) that provides for the allocation of consolidated tax liabilities. The tax allocation agreement specifies that each party be allocated an amount of tax using a stand-alone calculation, which is similar to what would be owed or refunded had the party been separately subject to tax without considering the impact of consolidation. Any net benefit attributable to Ameren (parent) is reallocated to the other parties. This reallocation is treated as a capital contribution to the party receiving the benefit. See Note 13 – Related-party Transactions for information regarding capital contributions under the tax allocation agreement.

Accounting Changes and Other Matters

Accounting Changes and Other Matters

The following is a summary of recently adopted authoritative accounting guidance, as well as guidance issued but not yet adopted, that could affect the Ameren Companies.

In the first quarter of 2019, the Ameren Companies adopted authoritative accounting guidance on leases. See Note 15 – Supplemental Information for additional information.

Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments

In June 2016, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that requires an entity to recognize an allowance for financial instruments that reflects its current estimate of credit losses expected to be incurred over the life of the financial instruments. The guidance requires an entity to measure expected credit losses using relevant information about past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectibility of the reported amount. This guidance will be effective for the Ameren Companies in the first quarter of 2020, and will require changes to be applied retrospectively with a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the adoption date. The adoption of this guidance will not have a significant impact on the Ameren Companies’ financial statements.

Fair Value Measurement Disclosures

In August 2018, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that affects disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. This guidance will be effective for the Ameren Companies in the first quarter of 2020.

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosures

In August 2018, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that affects disclosure requirements for defined benefit plans. This guidance will be effective for the Ameren Companies in the fourth quarter of 2020, and will require changes to be applied retrospectively to each period presented.

Derivatives, Policy

The Ameren Companies elect to present the fair value amounts of derivative assets and derivative liabilities subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement at the gross amounts on the balance sheet.

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an unrealized appreciation or depreciation of our contracted commitments to purchase or sell when purchase or sale prices under the commitments are compared with current commodity prices;


•	market values of natural gas and uranium inventories that differ from the cost of those commodities in inventory;


•	actual cash outlays for the purchase of these commodities that differ from anticipated cash outlays; and


•	actual off-system sales revenues that differ from anticipated revenues.

The derivatives that we use to hedge these risks are governed by our risk management policies for forward contracts, futures, options, and swaps. Our net positions are continually assessed within our structured hedging programs to determine whether new or offsetting transactions are required. The goal of the hedging program is generally to mitigate financial risks while ensuring that sufficient volumes are available to meet our requirements. Contracts we enter into as part of our risk management program may be settled financially, settled by physical delivery, or net settled with the counterparty.

Consolidation, Subsidiaries or Other Investments, Consolidated Entities, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Noncontrolling Interests

As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, Ameren’s noncontrolling interests included the preferred stock of Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois.

Excise Taxes

Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois collect from their customers excise taxes, including municipal and state excise taxes and gross receipts taxes, that are levied on the sale or distribution of natural gas and electricity.

Earnings Per Share, Policy

Earnings per Share

Earnings per basic and diluted share are computed by dividing “Net Income Attributable to Ameren Common Shareholders” by the weighted-average number of basic and diluted common shares outstanding, respectively, during the applicable period. The weighted-average shares outstanding for earnings per diluted share includes the incremental effects resulting from performance share units, restricted stock units, and the forward sale agreement relating to common stock when the impact would be dilutive, as calculated using the treasury stock method.