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Rate And Regulatory Matters | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2025
Public Utilities, General Disclosures [Abstract] |
RATE AND REGULATORY MATTERS | RATE AND REGULATORY MATTERS Below is a summary of updates to significant regulatory proceedings and related legal proceedings. See Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters under Part II, Item 8, of the Form 10-K for additional information and a summary of our regulatory frameworks. We are unable to predict the ultimate outcome of these matters, the timing of final decisions of the various agencies and courts, or the impact on our results of operations, financial position, or liquidity. Missouri Missouri Senate Bill 4 In April 2025, Missouri Senate Bill 4 was enacted and will become effective in August 2025. The law includes certain provisions that affect the regulation of Ameren Missouri’s electric and natural gas businesses. These provisions create modifications to the PISA and integrated resource planning, allow the MoPSC to authorize inclusion of construction work in progress in rate base for new natural gas-fired generation facilities and new generation facilities approved through integrated resource planning, and allow natural gas utilities to file regulatory rate reviews using a future test year, among other things. Pursuant to the law, the PISA has been modified to include new natural gas generating units placed in service after the effective date of the law as qualifying property, plant, and equipment eligible for deferral and recovery of 85% of the related depreciation expense. These new natural gas generating units will also be included in the 85% of rate base allowed to earn a return at the applicable WACC under the PISA. The law also reduced the annual limit on increases to the electric service revenue requirement used to set customer rates, compared to the revenue requirement established in the immediately preceding rate order, due to the inclusion of incremental PISA deferrals in the revenue requirement. The annual limit currently in effect is 2.5% and will change to 2.25%, prorated monthly, for revenue requirements approved by the MoPSC after August 2025. Furthermore, the PISA's effective date has been extended through 2035, unless Ameren Missouri requests and receives MoPSC approval of an extension through 2040. In addition, the law also made modifications to integrated resource planning, which requires Missouri electric utilities to file plans for meeting their customers' long-term energy needs. By August 2027, the MoPSC will publish a schedule for Missouri electric utilities to file integrated resource plans every four years. The MoPSC will be required to issue an order on the plans and shall determine whether the electric utility has submitted sufficient documentation and selected preferred resource plans representing a reasonable and prudent means of the utility's load serving obligations at just and reasonable rates. In making this determination, the MoPSC shall consider whether the plans appropriately balance specific factors described in the law. If the MoPSC approves the plans, requests for CCNs for new generation facilities to be constructed or acquired as a part of the approved plans shall be deemed necessary and convenient and the scope of the CCN proceedings to review projects will be limited. The approved generation facilities will also be eligible to include construction work in progress in rate base, subject to MoPSC approval, which would improve the timeliness of cash recovery. Utilities are not allowed to capitalize allowance for funds used during construction on amounts included in rate base under this provision. The amount of construction work in progress to be included in rate base is limited to prudently incurred expenditures made within the construction period for the facility. Further, outside of the integrated resource planning process discussed above, the law allows a Missouri electric utility to request that the MoPSC authorize the inclusion of construction work in progress for new natural gas-fired generation facilities in rate base. Under this provision, utilities are not allowed to capitalize allowance for funds used during construction on projects approved to include construction work in progress in rate base. The amount of construction work in progress to be included in rate base is limited to prudently incurred expenditures made within the construction period for the facility. The provisions allowing for the inclusion of construction work in progress on natural gas-fired generation in rate base expire in December 2035, unless Ameren Missouri requests and receives MoPSC approval of an extension through 2045. Also, beginning in July 2026 the law allows natural gas utilities to file regulatory rate reviews using a future test year, subject to MoPSC approval. If a natural gas utility is allowed to use a future test year, a reconciliation of the actual rate base and certain forecasted costs will be performed 45 days after the end of the test year. If a given year’s actual revenue requirement is less than the revenue requirement approved by the MoPSC due to changes in rate base or certain other costs, an adjustment is made to reduce natural gas operating revenues with an offset to a regulatory liability to reflect that test year’s amounts. The regulatory liability will then be refunded to customers in the next regulatory rate review and will accrue carrying costs at the applicable WACC. April 2025 MoPSC Electric Rate Order In April 2025, the MoPSC issued an order in Ameren Missouri’s 2024 electric service regulatory rate review, approving nonunanimous stipulations and agreements. The order authorizes an increase of $355 million to Ameren Missouri’s annual revenue requirement for electric retail service, effective June 1, 2025. The approved revenue requirement was based on infrastructure investments as of December 31, 2024. The order did not explicitly specify an ROE, capital structure, rate base, or any rate base disallowances. The order provides for the continued use of all existing riders and trackers. The order also changed annualized depreciation, regulatory asset and liability amortization amounts, and the base level of expenses for trackers. On an annualized basis, these changes reflect an increase in “Depreciation and amortization” of approximately $70 million, among other expense changes, on Ameren’s and Ameren Missouri’s consolidated statements of income. 2024 Natural Gas Delivery Service Regulatory Rate Review In September 2024, Ameren Missouri filed a request with the MoPSC seeking approval to increase its annual revenues for natural gas delivery service. In May 2025, Ameren Missouri filed an updated request seeking approval to increase its annual revenues for natural gas delivery service by $38 million. The natural gas rate increase request is based on a 10.25% ROE, a capital structure composed of 52% common equity, a rate base of $525 million, and a test year ended March 31, 2024, with certain pro-forma adjustments allowed through the true-up date of December 31, 2024. The request includes the continued use of all of Ameren Missouri’s existing riders and trackers. The natural gas rate increase request reflects investments in infrastructure to ensure the safe delivery of natural gas. In May 2025, the MoPSC staff recommended an increase to Ameren Missouri’s annual revenues for natural gas delivery service of $32 million based on a 9.64% ROE, a capital structure composed of 52% common equity as of the true-up date of December 31, 2024, and a rate base of $482 million. The MoPSC staff supported the continued use of all of Ameren Missouri’s existing riders and trackers. The MoPSC proceeding relating to the proposed natural gas delivery service rate changes will take place over 11 months, with a decision by the MoPSC expected by August 2025 and new rates effective by September 2025. Ameren Missouri cannot predict the level of any natural gas delivery service rate change the MoPSC may approve, whether the requested regulatory recovery mechanisms will be continued, or whether any rate change that may eventually be approved will be sufficient for Ameren Missouri to recover its costs and earn a reasonable return on its investments when the rate change goes into effect. Generation Facilities Ameren Missouri, and certain subsidiaries of Ameren Missouri, are parties to agreements to acquire and/or construct various generation facilities. The solar generation facilities are eligible for recovery under the PISA. The Castle Bluff Natural Gas Project is also eligible for recovery under the PISA pursuant to Missouri Senate Bill 4 discussed above. The following table provides information with respect to each agreement:
| Agreement type | Facility size | Status of MoPSC CCN | Status of FERC approval of acquisition | In-service date(a)
Vandalia Solar Project(b)(c) | Self-build | 50-MW | Approved March 2024 | Not applicable | Fourth quarter 2025
Bowling Green Solar Project(b)(c) | Self-build | 50-MW | Approved March 2024 | Not applicable | First quarter 2026
Split Rail Solar Project(b)(c) | Build-transfer | 300-MW | Approved March 2024 | Received November 2024 | Mid-2026
Castle Bluff Natural Gas Project(b) | Self-build | 800-MW | Approved October 2024 | Not applicable | Fourth quarter 2027
(a)In-service dates are dependent on the timing of construction completion, among other things. (b)These projects collectively represent approximately $1.7 billion of capital expenditures. (c)These solar projects are expected to support Ameren Missouri’s transition to renewable energy generation. MISO Long-Range Transmission Projects CCN In 2022, the MISO approved the first tranche of projects related to a preliminary long-range transmission planning roadmap of projects through 2039. A portion of these projects were assigned or awarded via a competitive bid process to various utilities, including Ameren. In 2024, ATXI filed requests for CCNs, among other things, with the MoPSC related to the MISO long-range transmission projects that it expects to construct within the MoPSC’s jurisdiction. Decisions by the MoPSC are expected in 2025. Illinois MYRP In December 2024, the ICC issued an order in connection with a revised Grid Plan and a revised MYRP filed by Ameren Illinois in March 2024, approving revenue requirements for electric distribution services for 2024 through 2027 of $1,206 million, $1,287 million, $1,367 million, and $1,421 million, respectively. Using the 2023 revenue requirement as a starting point, the approved revenue requirements in the ICC’s December 2024 order represent a cumulative four-year increase of $308 million. Rate changes consistent with the December 2024 order became effective in December 2024. In January 2025, Ameren Illinois filed a request for rehearing of the ICC’s December 2024 order to revise the allowed ROE and to include an asset associated with other postretirement benefits in the rate base, among other things. Subsequently, in February 2025, the ICC denied the rehearing request. In March 2025, Ameren Illinois filed an appeal of the ICC’s December 2024 order to the Illinois Appellate Court for the Fifth Judicial District. In addition, Ameren Illinois filed an appeal related to orders issued by the ICC in December 2023 and June 2024 related to the MYRP proceeding. The appellate court is under no deadline to address the appeals, and Ameren Illinois cannot predict the ultimate outcome of the appeals. 2024 Electric Distribution Service Revenue Requirement Reconciliation Adjustment In April 2025, Ameren Illinois filed a reconciliation adjustment to its 2024 electric distribution service revenue requirement with the ICC, requesting recovery of $61 million. The adjustment reflects Ameren Illinois’ actual 2024 recoverable costs, 2024 year-end rate base, and a capital structure composed of 50% common equity. An ICC decision in this proceeding is required by December 2025, and any approved adjustment would be collected from customers in 2026. Electric Energy Efficiency Plan In February 2025, Ameren Illinois filed an energy-efficiency plan with the ICC, which includes annual investments in electric energy-efficiency programs up to $126 million per year from 2026 through 2029. The ICC has the ability to reduce the amount of electric energy-efficiency savings goals in future program years if there are insufficient cost-effective programs available, which could reduce the investments in electric energy-efficiency programs. A decision by the ICC in this proceeding is expected by September 2025. 2025 Natural Gas Delivery Service Rate Review In January 2025, Ameren Illinois filed a request with the ICC seeking approval to increase its annual revenues for natural gas delivery service by $140 million. The request is based on a 10.7% ROE, a capital structure composed of 52% common equity, and a rate base of $3.3 billion. Ameren Illinois used a 2026 future test year in this proceeding. A decision by the ICC in this proceeding is required by early December 2025, with new rates expected to be effective in December 2025. Ameren Illinois cannot predict the level of any delivery service rate change the ICC may approve, nor whether any rate change that may eventually be approved will be sufficient to enable Ameren Illinois to recover its costs and to earn a reasonable return on investments when the rate changes go into effect. MISO Long-Range Transmission Projects CCN In 2022, the MISO approved the first tranche of projects related to a preliminary long-range transmission planning roadmap of projects through 2039. A portion of these projects were assigned or awarded via a competitive bidding process to various utilities, including Ameren. In 2024, Ameren Illinois and ATXI filed a request for a CCN, among other things, with the ICC related to the portion of the MISO long-range transmission projects they will construct within the ICC’s jurisdiction. A decision by the ICC is expected by mid-2025. Federal MISO Transmission Rate Incentives In 2024, the MISO approved a first set of second tranche projects related to its preliminary long-range transmission planning roadmap of projects through 2039. A portion of these projects were assigned to Ameren and are estimated to cost approximately $1.3 billion, based on the MISO’s cost estimate. In May 2025, the MISO and Ameren Services, on behalf of Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois, and ATXI, filed a request with the FERC to allow transmission rate incentives relating to the second tranche projects assigned to Ameren. If approved by the FERC, the incentives would allow construction work in progress to be included in rate base for projects constructed by ATXI, thereby improving the timeliness of cash recovery, and would allow recovery of prudently incurred costs, subject to FERC approval, for any portion of the projects if they are abandoned for reasons beyond the control of Ameren. If approved, ATXI would not capitalize allowance for funds used during construction on the related projects. A decision by the FERC is expected by the end of 2025. FERC ROE Complaint Cases Since November 2013, the allowed base ROE for FERC-regulated transmission rate base under the MISO tariff has been subject to customer complaint cases and has been changed by various FERC orders. In October 2024, the FERC issued an order, which decreased the allowed base ROE from 10.02% to 9.98% and required refunds, with interest, for the periods from November 2013 to February 2015 and from late September 2016 forward. In November 2024, the MISO transmission owners, including Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois, and ATXI, filed a request for rehearing with the FERC, arguing, among other things, the FERC should not have ordered refunds back to September 2016 or imposed interest on those refunds. Also in November 2024, another intervenor filed a request for rehearing with the FERC, requesting the FERC correct aspects of the ROE methodology used in the October 2024 order and reconsider its decision in a February 2015 complaint case to deny refunds for the period from February 2015 to May 2016. In January 2025, the MISO transmission owners, including Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois, and ATXI, filed an appeal of the October 2024 order to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. In March 2025, the FERC issued an order rejecting all rehearing requests. In April 2025, the MISO transmission owners, including Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois, and ATXI, filed an appeal of the March 2025 order to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. As of March 31, 2025, Ameren and Ameren Illinois had recorded liabilities in "Current regulatory liabilities" on their balance sheets of $11 million and $7 million, respectively, to reflect the expected refunds, including interest, associated with the allowed base ROE set by the October 2024 order.

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