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.

Credit Agreements

In December 2018, the Credit Agreements, which were scheduled to mature in December 2021, were extended and now mature in December 2022. The Credit Agreements provide $2.1 billion of credit cumulatively through maturity. The maturity date may be extended for an additional one-year period upon mutual consent of the borrowers and lenders. Credit available under the agreements is provided by a group of 22 international, national, and regional lenders, with no single lender providing more than $118 million of credit in aggregate.

The obligations of each borrower under the respective Credit Agreements to which it is a party are several and not joint. Except under limited circumstances relating to expenses and indemnities, the obligations of Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois under the respective Credit Agreements are not guaranteed by Ameren (parent) or any other subsidiary of Ameren. The following table presents the maximum aggregate amount available to each borrower under each facility:



	Missouri Credit Agreement		Illinois Credit Agreement
Ameren (parent)	$	700	$	500
Ameren Missouri	800		(a)
Ameren Illinois	(a)		800


(a)	Not applicable.

The borrowers have the option to seek additional commitments from existing or new lenders to increase the total facility size of the Credit Agreements to a maximum of $1.2 billion for the Missouri Credit Agreement and $1.3 billion for the Illinois Credit Agreement. Ameren (parent) borrowings are due and payable no later than the maturity date of the Credit Agreements. Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois borrowings under the applicable Credit Agreement are due and payable no later than the earlier of the maturity date or 364 days after the originating date of the borrowing.

The obligations of the borrowers under the Credit Agreements are unsecured. Loans are available on a revolving basis under each of the Credit Agreements. Funds borrowed may be repaid and, subject to satisfaction of the conditions to borrowing, reborrowed from time to time. At the election of each borrower, the interest rates on such loans will be the alternate base rate plus the margin applicable to the particular borrower and/or the eurodollar rate plus the margin applicable to the particular borrower. The applicable margins will be determined by the borrower’s long-term unsecured credit ratings or, if no such ratings are in effect, the borrower’s corporate/issuer ratings then in effect. The borrowers have received commitments from the lenders to issue letters of credit up to $100 million under each of the Credit Agreements. In addition, the issuance of letters of credit is subject to the $2.1 billion overall combined facility borrowing limitations of the Credit Agreements.

The borrowers will use the proceeds from any borrowings under the Credit Agreements for general corporate purposes, including working capital, commercial paper liquidity support, issuance of letters of credit, loan funding under the Ameren money pool arrangements, and other short-term affiliate loan arrangements. The Missouri Credit Agreement and the Illinois Credit Agreement are available to support issuances under Ameren (parent)’s, Ameren Missouri’s and Ameren Illinois’ commercial paper programs, respectively, subject to borrowing sublimits. As of December 31, 2018, based on commercial paper outstanding and letters of credit issued under the Credit Agreements, along with cash and cash equivalents, the net liquidity available to Ameren (parent), Ameren Missouri, and Ameren Illinois, collectively, was $1.5 billion.

Ameren, Ameren Missouri, and Ameren Illinois did not borrow under the Credit Agreements for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.

Commercial Paper

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 years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017:



	Ameren (parent)			Ameren Missouri			Ameren Illinois			Ameren Consolidated
2018
Average daily commercial paper outstanding	$	410		$	61		$	108		$	579
Outstanding borrowings at period-end	470			55			72			597
Weighted-average interest rate	2.31		%	1.94		%	2.26		%	2.26		%
Peak outstanding commercial paper during period^(a)	$	543		$	481		$	442		$	1,295
Peak interest rate	3.10		%	2.80		%	2.85		%	3.10		%
2017
Average daily commercial paper outstanding	$	573		$	5		$	90		$	668
Outstanding borrowings at period-end	383			39			62			484
Weighted-average interest rate	1.30		%	1.24		%	1.35		%	1.31		%
Peak outstanding commercial paper during period^(a)	$	841		$	64		$	469		$	948
Peak interest rate	1.90		%	1.78		%	2.00		%	2.00		%


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

Indebtedness Provisions and Other Covenants

The information below is a summary of the Ameren Companies’ compliance with indebtedness provisions and other covenants.

The Credit Agreements contain conditions for borrowings and issuances of letters of credit. These conditions include the absence of default or unmatured default, material accuracy of representations and warranties (excluding any representation after the closing date as to the absence of material adverse change and material litigation, and the absence of any notice of violation, liability, or requirement under any environmental laws that could have a material adverse effect), and obtaining required regulatory authorizations. In addition, it is a condition for any Ameren Illinois borrowing that, at the time of and after giving effect to such borrowing, Ameren Illinois not be in violation of any limitation on its ability to incur unsecured indebtedness contained in its articles of incorporation.

The Credit Agreements also contain nonfinancial covenants, including restrictions on the ability to incur certain liens, to transact with affiliates, to dispose of assets, to make investments in or transfer assets to its affiliates, and to merge with other entities. The Credit Agreements require each of Ameren, Ameren Missouri, and Ameren Illinois to maintain consolidated indebtedness of not more than 65% of its consolidated total capitalization pursuant to a defined calculation set forth in the agreements. As of December 31, 2018, the ratios of consolidated indebtedness to total consolidated capitalization, calculated in accordance with the provisions of the Credit Agreements, were 53%, 47%, and 48%, for Ameren, Ameren Missouri, and Ameren Illinois, respectively.

The Credit Agreements contain default provisions that apply separately to each borrower. However, a default of Ameren Missouri or Ameren Illinois under the applicable credit agreement is also deemed to constitute a default of Ameren (parent) under such agreement. Defaults include a cross-default resulting from a default of such borrower under any other agreement covering outstanding indebtedness of such borrower and certain subsidiaries (other than project finance subsidiaries and nonmaterial subsidiaries) in excess of $100 million in the aggregate (including under the other credit agreement). However, under the default provisions of the Credit Agreements, any default of Ameren (parent) under either credit agreement that results solely from a default of Ameren Missouri or Ameren Illinois does not result in a cross-default of Ameren (parent) under the other credit agreement. Further, the Credit Agreements default provisions provide that an Ameren (parent) default under either of the Credit Agreements does not constitute a default by Ameren Missouri or Ameren Illinois.

None of the Credit Agreements or financing agreements contain credit rating triggers that would cause a default or acceleration of repayment of outstanding balances. The Ameren Companies were in compliance with the provisions and covenants of the Credit Agreements at December 31, 2018.

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.

Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois, and ATXI may participate in the utility money pool as both lenders and borrowers. Ameren (parent) and Ameren Services may participate in the utility money pool only as lenders. Surplus internal funds are contributed to the money pool from participants. The primary sources of external funds for the utility money pool are the Credit Agreements and the commercial paper programs. The total amount available to the pool participants from the utility money pool at any given time is reduced by the amount of borrowings made by participants, but it is increased to the extent that the pool participants advance surplus funds to the utility money pool or remit funds from other external sources. The availability of funds is also determined by funding requirement limits established by regulatory authorizations. Participants receiving a loan under the utility money pool agreement must repay the principal amount of such loan, together with accrued interest. The rate of interest depends on the composition of internal and external funds in the utility money pool. The average interest rate for borrowing under the utility money pool for the year ended December 31, 2018, was 2.10% (2017 – 1.19%).

See Note 13 – Related-party Transactions for the amount of interest income and expense from the utility money pool agreement recorded by the Ameren Companies for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016.