Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

General

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 has other subsidiaries that conduct other activities, such as providing shared services.

•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 Illinois Company, doing business as Ameren Illinois, operates rate-regulated electric transmission, electric distribution, and natural gas distribution businesses in Illinois.

•ATXI operates a FERC rate-regulated electric transmission business in the MISO.

Ameren’s and Ameren Missouri’s financial statements are prepared on a consolidated basis and therefore include the accounts of their majority-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated. Ameren Missouri’s subsidiaries were created for the acquisition of renewable generation projects. Ameren Illinois has 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 reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The results of operations for an interim period may not give a true indication of results that may be expected for a full year. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and accompanying notes included in the Form 10-K.

Variable Interest Entities

As of September 30, 2023, and December 31, 2022, Ameren had unconsolidated variable interests in various equity method investments, primarily to advance clean and resilient energy technologies, totaling $73 million and $68 million, respectively, included in “Other assets” on Ameren’s consolidated balance sheet. Any earnings or losses related to these investments are included in “Other Income, Net” on Ameren’s consolidated statement of income and comprehensive income. 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 September 30, 2023, Ameren’s maximum exposure to loss related to these variable interests is limited to its investment of $73 million plus associated outstanding funding commitments of $14 million.

COLI

Ameren and Ameren Illinois have COLI, 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 September 30, 2023, the cash surrender value of COLI at Ameren and Ameren Illinois was $250 million (December 31, 2022 – $246 million) and $122 million (December 31, 2022 – $118 million), respectively, while total borrowings against the policies were $116 million (December 31, 2022 – $110 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 COLI is affected by the investment performance of a separate account in which Ameren holds a beneficial interest.