COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

We are involved in legal, tax, and regulatory proceedings before various courts, regulatory commissions, authorities, and governmental agencies with respect to matters that arise in the ordinary course of business, some of which involve substantial amounts of money. We believe that the final disposition of these proceedings, except as otherwise disclosed in these notes to our financial statements, will not have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, or liquidity.

See also Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters, Note 9 – Callaway Energy Center, and Note 13 – Related-party Transactions in this report.

Leases

We lease various facilities, office equipment, plant equipment, and rail cars under capital and operating leases. The following table presents our lease obligations at December 31, 2018:



	2019		2020		2021		2022		2023		After 5 Years		Total
Ameren:
Minimum capital lease payments^(a)(b)	$	32	$	32	$	33	$	32	$	264	$	—	$	393
Less amount representing interest	25		25		25		24		24		—		123
Present value of minimum capital lease payments	$	7	$	7	$	8	$	8	$	240	$	—	$	270
Operating leases	10		8		7		6		5		9		45
Total lease obligations	$	17	$	15	$	15	$	14	$	245	$	9	$	315
Ameren Missouri:
Minimum capital lease payments^(b)(c)	$	32	$	32	$	33	$	32	$	264	$	—	$	393
Less amount representing interest	25		25		25		24		24		—		123
Present value of minimum capital lease payments	$	7	$	7	$	8	$	8	$	240	$	—	$	270
Operating leases	8		7		6		5		5		9		40
Total lease obligations	$	15	$	14	$	14	$	13	$	245	$	9	$	310
Ameren Illinois:
Operating leases	$	1	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	1


(a)	See Note 3 – Property, Plant, and Equipment, Net for additional information.


(b)	See Note 5 – Long-term Debt and Equity Financings for additional information on Ameren’s and Ameren Missouri’s capital lease agreements.

The following table presents total operating lease expenses included in “Operating Expenses” in the statement of income for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016:



	2018		2017		2016
Ameren	$	9	$	11	$	38
Ameren Missouri	8		10		34
Ameren Illinois	1		1		30

Other Obligations

To supply a portion of the fuel requirements of Ameren Missouri’s energy centers, Ameren Missouri has entered into various long-term commitments for the procurement of coal, natural gas, nuclear fuel, and methane gas. Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois also have entered into various long-term commitments for purchased power and natural gas for distribution. The table below presents our estimated minimum fuel, purchased power, and other commitments at December 31, 2018. Ameren’s and Ameren Illinois’ purchased power commitments include the Ameren Illinois agreements entered into as part of the IPA-administered power procurement process. Included in the Other column are minimum purchase commitments under contracts for equipment, design and construction, and meter reading services, among other agreements, at December 31, 2018.



	Coal		Natural Gas^(a)		Nuclear Fuel		Purchased Power^(b)(c)		Methane Gas		Other		Total
Ameren:
2019	$	349	$	197	$	25	$	157	$	4	$	67	$	799
2020	160		143		43		54		4		41		445
2021	121		77		59		10		4		30		301
2022	72		27		14		—		3		26		142
2023	—		7		42		—		3		27		79
Thereafter	—		34		31		—		29		72		166
Total	$	702	$	485	$	214	$	221	$	47	$	263	$	1,932
Ameren Missouri:
2019	$	349	$	40	$	25	$	—	$	4	$	49	$	467
2020	160		31		43		—		4		26		264
2021	121		15		59		—		4		26		225
2022	72		5		14		—		3		26		120
2023	—		3		42		—		3		27		75
Thereafter	—		14		31		—		29		56		130
Total	$	702	$	108	$	214	$	—	$	47	$	210	$	1,281
Ameren Illinois:
2019	$	—	$	157	$	—	$	157	$	—	$	8	$	322
2020	—		112		—		54		—		5		171
2021	—		62		—		10		—		—		72
2022	—		22		—		—		—		—		22
2023	—		4		—		—		—		—		4
Thereafter	—		20		—		—		—		—		20
Total	$	—	$	377	$	—	$	221	$	—	$	13	$	611


(a)	Includes amounts for generation and for distribution.


(b)	The purchased power amounts for Ameren and Ameren Illinois exclude agreements for renewable energy credits through 2034 with various renewable energy suppliers due to the contingent nature of the payment amounts.


(c)	The purchased power amounts for Ameren and Ameren Missouri exclude a 102-megawatt power purchase agreement with a wind farm operator, which expires in 2024, due to the contingent nature of the payment amounts.

In January 2018, as required by the FEJA, Ameren Illinois entered into 10-year agreements to acquire zero emission credits. Annual zero emission credit commitment amounts will be published by the IPA each May prior to the start of the subsequent planning year. The amounts above reflect Ameren Illinois’ commitment to acquire approximately $26 million of zero emission credits through May 2019.

Environmental Matters

We are subject to various environmental laws, including statutes and regulations, enforced by federal, state, and local authorities. The development and operation of electric generation, transmission, and distribution facilities and natural gas storage, transmission, and distribution facilities can trigger compliance obligations with respect to environmental laws. These laws address emissions, discharges to water, water intake, impacts to air, land, and water, and chemical and waste handling. Complex and lengthy processes are required to obtain and renew approvals, permits, and licenses for new, existing or modified facilities. Additionally, the use and handling of various chemicals or hazardous materials require release prevention plans and emergency response procedures.

The EPA has promulgated environmental regulations that have a significant impact on the electric utility industry. Over time, compliance with these regulations could be costly for Ameren Missouri, which operates coal-fired power plants. As of December 31, 2018, Ameren Missouri’s fossil fuel-fired energy centers represented 16% and 32% of Ameren’s and Ameren Missouri’s rate base, respectively. Regulations that apply to air emissions from the electric utility industry include the NSPS, the CSAPR, the MATS, and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, which are subject to periodic review for certain pollutants. Collectively, these regulations cover a variety of pollutants, such as SO₂, particulate matter, NO_x,mercury, toxic metals, and acid gases, and CO₂ emissions from new power plants. Water intake and discharges from power plants are regulated under the Clean Water Act. Such regulation could require modifications to water intake structures or more stringent limitations on wastewater discharges at Ameren Missouri’s energy centers, either of which could result in significant capital expenditures. The management and disposal of coal ash is regulated under the CCR rule, which will require the closure of surface impoundments and the installations of dry ash handling systems at several of Ameren Missouri’s energy centers. The individual or combined effects of existing environmental regulations could result in significant capital expenditures, increased operating costs, or the closure or alteration of operations at some of Ameren Missouri’s energy centers. Ameren and Ameren Missouri expect that such compliance costs would be recoverable through rates, subject to MoPSC prudence review, but the timing of costs and their recovery could be subject to regulatory lag.

Ameren and Ameren Missouri estimate that they will need to make capital expenditures of $300 million to $400 million from 2019 through 2023 in order to comply with existing environmental regulations. Additional environmental controls beyond 2023 could be required. This estimate of capital expenditures includes expenditures required by the CCR regulations, by the Clean Water Act rule applicable to cooling water intake structures at existing power plants, and by effluent limitation guidelines applicable to steam electric generating units, all of which are discussed below. Ameren Missouri’s current plan for compliance with existing air emission regulations includes burning ultra-low-sulfur coal and installing new or optimizing existing pollution control equipment. The actual amount of capital expenditures required to comply with existing environmental regulations may vary substantially from the above estimate because of uncertainty as to whether the EPA will substantially revise regulatory obligations, exactly which compliance strategies will be used and their ultimate cost, among other things.

The following sections describe the more significant environmental laws and rules and environmental enforcement and remediation matters that affect or could affect our operations. The EPA has initiated an administrative review of several regulations and proposed amendments to regulations and guidelines, including to the effluent limitation guidelines and the CCR Rule, which could ultimately result in the revision of all or part of such rules.

Clean Air Act

Federal and state laws, including CSAPR, regulate emissions of SO₂ and NO_x through emission source reductions and the use and retirement of emission allowances. The first phase of the CSAPR emission reduction requirements became effective in 2015. The second phase of emission reduction requirements, which were revised by the EPA in 2016, became effective in 2017; additional emission reduction requirements may apply in subsequent years. To achieve compliance with the CSAPR, Ameren Missouri burns ultra-low-sulfur coal, operates two scrubbers at its Sioux energy center, and optimizes other existing pollution control equipment. Ameren Missouri expects to incur additional costs to lower its emissions at one or more of its energy centers to comply with the CSAPR in future years. These higher costs are expected to be recovered from customers through the FAC or higher base rates.

CO₂ Emissions Standards

In 2015, the EPA issued the Clean Power Plan, which would have established CO₂ emissions standards applicable to existing power plants. The United States Supreme Court stayed the rule in February 2016, pending various legal challenges. In August 2018, the EPA proposed to repeal and replace the Clean Power Plan with a proposed new rule known as the Affordable Clean Energy Rule, which establishes emission guidelines for states to follow in developing plans to limit CO₂ emissions from power plants. The EPA proposes to use certain efficiency measures as the best system of emission reduction for coal-fired power plants. The EPA is expected to finalize the Affordable Clean Energy rule in the first half of 2019. We cannot predict the outcome of EPA’s rulemaking or the outcome of legal challenges related to such rulemaking.

NSR and Clean Air Litigation

In January 2011, the Department of Justice, on behalf of the EPA, filed a complaint against Ameren Missouri in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. The complaint, as amended in October 2013, alleged that in performing projects at its Rush Island coal-fired energy center in 2007 and 2010, Ameren Missouri violated provisions of the Clean Air Act and Missouri law. The litigation has been divided into two phases: liability and remedy. In the first phase, in January 2017, the district court issued a liability ruling that the projects violated provisions of the Clean Air Act and Missouri law. In the second phase, the district court will determine the actions required to remedy the violations found in the liability phase. The EPA previously withdrew all claims for penalties and fines. Hearings on remedy-related issues are scheduled for April 2019. At the conclusion of both phases of the litigation, Ameren Missouri intends to appeal the liability ruling to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

The ultimate resolution of this matter could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations, financial position, and liquidity of Ameren and Ameren Missouri. Among other things and subject to economic and regulatory considerations, resolution of this matter could result in increased capital expenditures for the installation of pollution control equipment, as well as increased operations and maintenance expenses. We are unable to predict the ultimate resolution of this matter or the costs that might be incurred.

Clean Water Act

In July 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the EPA’s Section 316(b) Rule applicable to cooling water intake structures at existing power plants. The rule requires a case-by-case evaluation and plan for reducing aquatic organisms impinged on a power plant’s cooling water intake screens or entrained through the plant’s cooling water system. All of Ameren Missouri’s coal-fired and nuclear energy centers are subject to the cooling water intake structures rule. The rule will be implemented by Ameren Missouri during the permit renewal process of each energy center’s water discharge permit, which is expected to be completed by 2023.

In 2015, the EPA issued a rule to revise the effluent limitation guidelines applicable to steam electric generating units. These guidelines established national standards for water discharges that are based on the effectiveness of available control technology. The EPA’s 2015 rule prohibits effluent discharges of certain waste streams and imposes more stringent limitations on certain water discharges from power plants. In September 2017, the EPA published a rule that postponed the compliance dates by two years for the limitations applicable to two specific waste streams so that it could potentially revise those standards. Ameren Missouri is in the process of constructing wastewater treatment facilities that meet the limitations in these guidelines at three of its energy centers.

CCR Management

In 2015, the EPA issued the CCR rule, which established regulations regarding the management and disposal of CCR from coal-fired energy centers. These regulations affect CCR disposal and handling costs at Ameren Missouri’s energy centers. They require closure of impoundments if performance criteria relating to groundwater impacts and location restrictions are not achieved. In July 2018, the EPA issued revisions to the CCR rule that extended certain compliance deadlines and indicated that additional revisions to the CCR rule are likely. Ameren and Ameren Missouri have AROs of $135 million recorded on their respective balance sheets as of December 31, 2018, associated with CCR storage facilities that reflect the regulations issued in 2015. Ameren plans to close these CCR storage facilities between 2019 and 2023. The recent EPA revisions do not affect Ameren Missouri’s closure schedule. Ameren Missouri estimates it will need to make capital expenditures of $150 million to $200 million from 2019 through 2023 to implement its CCR management compliance plan, which includes installation of dry ash handling systems, waste water treatment facilities, and groundwater monitoring equipment.

Remediation

The Ameren Companies are involved in a number of remediation actions to clean up sites impacted by the use or disposal of materials containing hazardous substances. Federal and state laws can require responsible parties to fund remediation regardless of their degree of fault, the legality of original disposal, or the ownership of a disposal site. Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois have each been identified by federal or state governments as a potentially responsible party at several contaminated sites.

As of December 31, 2018, Ameren Illinois had investigated and remediated the majority of the 44 former MGP sites in Illinois it owned or for which it was otherwise responsible. Ameren Illinois estimates it could substantially conclude remediation efforts at its remaining sites by 2023. The ICC allows Ameren Illinois to recover such remediation and related litigation costs from its electric and natural gas utility customers through environmental cost riders. Costs are subject to annual prudence review by the ICC. As of December 31, 2018, Ameren Illinois estimated the obligation related to these former MGP sites at $150 million to $212 million. Ameren and Ameren Illinois recorded a liability of $150 million to represent the estimated minimum obligation for these sites, as no other amount within the range was a better estimate.

The scope of the remediation activities at these former MGP sites may increase as remediation efforts continue. Considerable uncertainty remains in these estimates because many site-specific factors can influence the ultimate actual costs, including unanticipated underground structures, the degree to which groundwater is encountered, regulatory changes, local ordinances, and site accessibility. The actual costs and timing of completion may vary substantially from these estimates.

Ameren Missouri participated in the investigation of various sites known as Sauget Area 2, located in Sauget, Illinois. In December 2018, Ameren Missouri signed a consent decree with the EPA to implement certain remedial measures at one of the disposal sites and reached an agreement with Solutia, Inc., the primary potentially responsible party for the Sauget Area 2, limiting Ameren Missouri’s cleanup obligations with respect to the other disposal sites. Remediation efforts at the site are expected to occur in 2020. As of December 31, 2018, Ameren Missouri recorded a liability of $1 million to represent its estimated minimum obligation for this site.

Our operations or those of our predecessor companies involve the use of, disposal of, and in appropriate circumstances, the cleanup of substances regulated under environmental laws. We are unable to determine whether such practices will result in future environmental commitments or will affect our results of operations, financial position, or liquidity.