Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

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, including Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois, and ATXI. Ameren also has other subsidiaries that conduct other activities, such as the provision of shared services. Ameren evaluates competitive electric transmission investment opportunities as they arise.

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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 40,000 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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Consolidation

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. Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois have no subsidiaries. All tabular dollar amounts are in millions, unless otherwise indicated. Unless otherwise stated, these notes to the financial statements exclude discontinued operations for all periods presented.

As of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, Ameren had unconsolidated variable interests as a limited partner in various equity method investments totaling $17 million and $9 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 impact the activities of these variable interest entities. As of December 31, 2017, the maximum exposure to loss related to these variable interests is limited to the investment in these partnerships of $17 million plus associated outstanding funding commitments of $20 million.

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

We 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. Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois have various rate-adjustment mechanisms in place that provide for the recovery of purchased natural gas and electric fuel and purchased power costs without a traditional regulatory rate review.

In Ameren Missouri’s and Ameren Illinois’ natural gas businesses, changes in natural gas costs are reflected in billings to their respective customers through PGA clauses. The difference between actual natural gas costs and costs billed to customers in a given period is deferred as a regulatory asset or liability. The deferred amount is either billed or refunded to customers in a subsequent period.

Ameren Missouri has a FAC that allows an adjustment of electric rates three times per year, without a traditional rate proceeding, for a pass-through to customers of 95% of the variance in net energy costs from the amount set in base rates, subject to MoPSC prudence review. The difference between the actual amounts incurred for these items and the amounts recovered from Ameren Missouri customers’ base rates is deferred as a regulatory asset or liability. The deferred amounts are either billed or refunded to electric customers in a subsequent period.

In Ameren Illinois’ electric distribution business, changes in purchased power and transmission service costs are reflected in billings to its customers through pass-through rate-adjustment clauses. The difference between actual purchased power and transmission service costs and costs billed to customers in a given period is deferred as a regulatory asset or liability. The deferred amount is either billed or refunded to customers in a subsequent period.

In addition to the rate-adjustment mechanisms discussed above, Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois have approvals from rate regulators to use other cost recovery mechanisms. Ameren Missouri has a pension and postretirement benefit cost tracker, an uncertain tax positions tracker, a renewable energy standards cost tracker, a solar rebate program tracker, and the MEEIA energy-efficiency rider. Ameren Illinois’ and ATXI’s electric transmission rates are determined pursuant to formula ratemaking. Additionally, Ameren Illinois participates in performance-based formula ratemaking frameworks established pursuant to the IEIMA and the FEJA for its electric distribution business and its electric energy-efficiency investments. Ameren Illinois also has environmental cost riders, an asbestos-related litigation rider, natural gas energy-efficiency rider, a QIP rider, a VBA rider, and a bad debt rider.

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.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and temporary investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less.

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.

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, including nuclear refueling and maintenance outages, are expensed as incurred. When units of depreciable property are retired, the original costs, less salvage values, 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.

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 provision for depreciation for the Ameren Companies in 2017, 2016, and 2015 ranged from 3% to 4% of the average depreciable cost.

Allowance for Funds Used During Construction

We capitalize allowance for funds used during construction, or the cost of borrowed funds and the cost of equity funds (preferred and common shareholders’ equity) applicable to rate-regulated construction expenditures, in accordance with the utility industry’s accounting practice. Allowance for funds used during construction does not represent a current source of cash funds. This accounting practice offsets the effect on earnings of the cost of financing during construction, and it treats such financing costs in the same manner as construction charges for labor and materials.

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, 2017 and 2016. 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, 2017 and 2016. The Ameren Transmission reporting unit had the same $93 million of goodwill as the Ameren Illinois Transmission reporting unit at December 31, 2017 and 2016.

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 and 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, on an annual basis. On December 31, 2016, due to a change in reporting units, Ameren and Ameren Illinois performed a quantitative test and determined that the estimated fair value of each reporting unit significantly exceeded its respective carrying value as of that date. Based on these results, Ameren and Ameren Illinois elected to perform a qualitative assessment for their annual goodwill impairment test conducted as of October 31, 2017.

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 significantly exceeded its carrying value as of October 31, 2017, resulting in no impairment of Ameren’s or Ameren Illinois’ goodwill. The following factors, among others, were considered by Ameren and Ameren Illinois when they assessed whether it was more likely than not that the fair value of each of their reporting units exceeded its carrying value as of October 31, 2017:


•	macroeconomic conditions, including those conditions within Ameren Illinois’ service territory;


•	pending regulatory rate review outcomes and projections of future regulatory rate review outcomes;


•	changes in laws and potential law changes;


•	observable industry market multiples;


•	achievement of IEIMA and FEJA performance metrics and the yield of 30-year United States Treasury bonds;


•	an unexpected further reduction in the FERC-allowed return on equity with respect to transmission services; and


•	projected operating results and cash flows.

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 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 2017 and 2016.

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 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 $26 million, $31 million, and $13 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively, which was deferred as a reduction to the net regulatory liability. The depreciation deferred to the regulatory asset at Ameren Illinois was immaterial in each respective period. Ameren and Ameren Missouri have a nuclear decommissioning trust fund for the decommissioning of the Callaway energy center. Net realized and unrealized gains and losses within the nuclear decommissioning trust fund are deferred as a regulatory liability. 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. Asset removal costs that do not constitute legal obligations are classified as regulatory liabilities. See Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters.

Noncontrolling Interest

Noncontrolling Interests

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, Ameren’s noncontrolling interests included the preferred stock of Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois.

Revenue

Operating Revenue

The Ameren Companies record operating revenue for electric or natural gas service when it is delivered to customers. We accrue an estimate of electric and natural gas revenues for service rendered but unbilled at the end of each accounting period.

Ameren Illinois participates in the performance-based formula ratemaking framework pursuant to the IEIMA and the FEJA. In addition, Ameren Illinois’ and ATXI’s electric transmission service operating revenues are regulated by the FERC. The provisions of the IEIMA and the FERC’s electric transmission formula rate framework provide for annual reconciliations of the electric distribution and electric transmission service revenue requirements necessary to reflect the actual recoverable costs incurred in a given year with the revenue requirements in customer rates for that year, including an allowed return on equity. In each of those electric jurisdictions, if the current year’s revenue requirement varies from the amount collected from customers, an adjustment is made to electric operating revenues with an offset to a regulatory asset or liability to reflect that year’s actual revenue requirement. The regulatory balance is then collected from, or refunded to, customers within two years. See Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters for information regarding Ameren Illinois’ revenue requirement reconciliation pursuant to the IEIMA.

Cost Of Sales

Accounting for MISO Transactions

MISO-related purchase and sale transactions are recorded by Ameren, Ameren Missouri, and Ameren Illinois using settlement information provided by 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 MISO’s tariff or a material interpretation thereof. In these cases, Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois recognize expenses associated with resettlements once the resettlement is probable and the resettlement amount can be estimated. Revenues are recognized once the resettlement amount is received.

Nuclear Fuel

Ameren Missouri’s cost of nuclear fuel is capitalized and then amortized to fuel expense on a unit-of-production basis. The cost is charged to “Operating Expenses – Fuel” in the statement of income.

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.

Excise Taxes

Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois collect from their customers certain excise taxes that are levied on the sale or distribution of natural gas and electricity. Excise taxes are levied on Ameren Missouri’s electric and natural gas businesses and on Ameren Illinois’ natural gas business. They are recorded gross in “Operating Revenues – Electric,” “Operating Revenues – Natural gas,” and “Operating Expenses – Taxes other than income taxes” on the statement of income or the statement of income and comprehensive income. Excise taxes for electric service in Illinois are levied on customers and are therefore not included in Ameren Illinois’ revenues and expenses.

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 both the revaluation of deferred taxes related to the TCJA.

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 that which would be owed or refunded had the party been separately subject to tax 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.

Earnings Per Share

Earnings per Share

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing “Net Income Attributable to Ameren Common Shareholders” by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Earnings per diluted share is computed by dividing “Net Income Attributable to Ameren Common Shareholders” by the weighted-average number of diluted common shares outstanding during the period. Earnings per diluted share reflects the potential dilution that would occur if certain stock-based performance share units were settled. The number of performance share units assumed to be settled was 1.6 million, 0.8 million, and 1.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively. There were no potentially dilutive securities excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculations for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015.

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.

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

In May 2014, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that changes the criteria for recognizing revenue from a contract with a customer. The underlying principle of the guidance is that an entity will recognize revenue for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers at an amount that the entity expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance requires additional disclosures to enable users of financial statements to understand the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers, as well as separate presentation of alternative revenue programs on the income statement. Entities can apply the guidance to each reporting period presented (the full retrospective method), or they can record a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings in the period of initial adoption (the modified retrospective method).

We have completed the evaluation of our contracts. Adoption of this guidance will not result in material changes to the amount or timing of revenue recognition. We will apply the guidance using the full retrospective method. We will include disaggregated revenue disclosures by segment and customer class in the combined notes to the financial statements. This guidance will be effective for the Ameren Companies for the first quarter of 2018.

Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost

In March 2017, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that requires an entity to report, including on a retrospective basis, the non-service cost or income components of net benefit cost separately from the service cost component and outside of operating income. Our adoption of this guidance will result in the reclassification of 2017 net benefit income of $44 million, $22 million, and $10 million, currently presented as a reduction of "Other operations and maintenance expense," on Ameren's, Ameren Missouri's, and Ameren Illinois' respective statements of income. These amounts will be presented outside of operating income. Similarly, 2016 net benefit income of $55 million, $18 million, and $24 million, currently presented as a reduction of "Other operations and maintenance expense" on Ameren's, Ameren Missouri's, and Ameren Illinois' respective statements of income, will also be reclassified and presented outside of operating income.

The guidance also permits an entity to capitalize only the service cost component as part of an asset, such as inventory or property, plant, and equipment, on a prospective basis. Previously, all of the net benefit cost components were eligible for capitalization. This change in the capitalization of net benefit costs is not expected to affect our ability to recover total net benefit cost through customer rates. This guidance will be effective for the Ameren Companies in the first quarter of 2018. See Note 10 – Retirement Benefits for the components of net benefit cost.

Restricted Cash

In November 2016, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that requires restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents to be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. We are currently assessing the impacts of this guidance on our statements of cash flows and disclosures. The guidance will be effective for the Ameren Companies in the first quarter of 2018, and requires changes to be applied retrospectively to each period presented.

Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments

In August 2016, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that specifies the classification and presentation of certain cash flow items to reduce diversity in practice. This guidance will be effective for the Ameren Companies in the first quarter of 2018, and requires changes to be applied retrospectively. For Ameren and Ameren Illinois, the adoption of this guidance will result in the retrospective reclassification from operating activities to financing activities of $7 million of bond premiums received in 2016.

Financial Instruments – Recognition and Measurement, and Credit Losses

In January 2016, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that addressed certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments. This guidance requires an entity to measure equity investments, other than those accounted for under the equity method of accounting, at fair value and to recognize changes in fair value in net income. The adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on our results of operations or financial position. The recognition, measurement, and disclosure guidance will be effective for the Ameren Companies in the first quarter of 2018. The guidance requires changes to be applied retrospectively with a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the adoption date.

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. We are currently assessing the impacts of this guidance on our results of operations, financial position, and disclosures. The credit loss guidance will be effective for the Ameren Companies in the first quarter of 2020. It requires changes to be applied retrospectively with a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the adoption date.

Leases

In February 2016, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that requires an entity to recognize assets and liabilities arising from all leases with a term greater than one year. Consistent with current GAAP, the recognition, measurement, and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from a lease will depend on its classification as a finance lease or operating lease. The guidance also requires additional disclosures to enable users of financial statements to understand the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. This guidance will affect the Ameren Companies’ financial position by increasing the assets and liabilities recorded relating to their operating leases, which will be recognized and measured at the beginning of the earliest period presented. Other arrangements not previously accounted for as leases may be required to be accounted for as leases; these arrangements would similarly result in increases to assets and liabilities recorded. We are currently assessing our arrangements to determine those that are within the scope of this guidance. We are also assessing the impacts of this guidance for effects on our results of operations, cash flows, and disclosures. This guidance will be effective for the Ameren Companies in the first quarter of 2019. See Note 14 – Commitments and Contingencies for additional information on our leases.