SHORT-TERM DEBT AND LIQUIDITY

The liquidity needs of the Ameren Companies are typically supported through the use of available cash, drawings under committed credit agreements, commercial paper issuances, or, in the case of Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois, short-term affiliate borrowings. See Note 4 – Short-term Debt and Liquidity under Part II, Item 8, in the Form 10-K for a description of our indebtedness provisions and other covenants as well as a description of money pool arrangements.

The Missouri Credit Agreement and the Illinois Credit Agreement, both of which expire in December 2021, were not utilized for direct borrowings during the three months ended March 31, 2018, but were used to support commercial paper issuances and to issue letters of credit. Based on commercial paper outstanding, letters of credit issued under the Credit Agreements, and cash on hand, the aggregate amount of credit capacity available under the Credit Agreements to Ameren (parent), Ameren Missouri, and Ameren Illinois, collectively, at March 31, 2018, was $1.2 billion. The Ameren Companies were in compliance with the covenants in their Credit Agreements as of March 31, 2018. As of March 31, 2018, the ratios of consolidated indebtedness to consolidated total capitalization, calculated in accordance with the provisions of the Credit Agreements, were 54%, 50%, and 48% for Ameren, Ameren Missouri, and Ameren Illinois, respectively.

Commercial Paper

The following table presents commercial paper outstanding, net of issuance discounts, as of March 31, 2018, and December 31, 2017:



	2018		2017
Ameren (parent)	$	454	$	383
Ameren Missouri	282		39
Ameren Illinois	224		62
Ameren Consolidated	$	960	$	484

The following table summarizes the borrowing activity and relevant interest rates under Ameren (parent)’s, Ameren Missouri’s, and Ameren Illinois’ commercial paper programs for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017:



	Ameren (parent)			Ameren Missouri			Ameren Illinois			Ameren Consolidated
2018
Average daily commercial paper outstanding at par value	$	378		$	213		$	137		$	728
Weighted-average interest rate	1.90		%	1.88		%	1.96		%	1.90		%
Peak commercial paper during period at par value^(a)	$	454		$	282		$	238		$	960
Peak interest rate	2.35		%	2.40		%	2.55		%	2.55		%
2017
Average daily commercial paper outstanding at par value	$	682		$	4		$	50		$	736
Weighted-average interest rate	1.07		%	0.93		%	0.95		%	1.06		%
Peak commercial paper during period at par value^(a)	$	810		$	45		$	74		$	914
Peak interest rate	1.30		%	1.15		%	1.15		%	1.30		%


(a)	The timing of peak outstanding commercial paper issuances varies by company. Therefore, the sum of individual company peak amounts may not equal the Ameren Consolidated peak commercial paper issuances for the period.

Money Pools

Ameren has money pool agreements with and among its subsidiaries to coordinate and provide for certain short-term cash and working capital requirements. The average interest rate for borrowings under the money pool for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, was 1.90% and 1.01%, respectively. See Note 8 – Related-party Transactions for the amount of interest income and expense from the money pool arrangements recorded by the Ameren Companies for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017.