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New words:
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acquiring, Agency, Asian, auction, avoid, Biden, Border, China, circumventing, Commerce, detention, disrupted, diverse, Forced, hearing, imported, initiated, investigation, lift, milder, obtaining, panel, presentation, recommended, Southeast, stipulation, submit, temporarily, underway, Uyghur
Financial report summary
?Risks
- We are subject to extensive regulation of our businesses.
- The electric and natural gas rates that we are allowed to charge are determined through regulatory proceedings, which are subject to intervention and appeal. Rates are also subject to legislative actions, which are largely outside of our control. Certain events could prevent us from recovering our costs in a timely manner or at all, or from earning adequate returns on our investments.
- Beginning in 2024 through at least 2027, electric distribution rates for Ameren Illinois are established through an MYRP, which are subject to ongoing regulatory and judicial proceedings and associated risks, and are subject to a reconciliation cap. Additionally, Ameren Illinois is subject to certain performance metrics that if not achieved would result in a reduction to the company’s allowed ROE.
- Ameren Illinois’ QIP expired in December 2023, which will subject Ameren Illinois to increased regulatory lag with respect to certain natural gas infrastructure investments. In addition, reconciliation hearings to determine the accuracy and prudence of natural gas capital investments recovered under the QIP are still ongoing.
- As a result of the election to use the PISA, effective in 2024, Ameren Missouri’s electric service business is subject to a limitation on increasing the annual revenue requirement due to the inclusion of incremental PISA deferrals in the revenue requirement.
- We are subject to various environmental and permitting laws. Significant capital expenditures may be required to achieve and to maintain compliance with these environmental laws. Failure to comply with these laws could result in the closing of facilities, alterations to the manner in which these facilities operate, increased operating costs, delays and increased costs of building new facilities, and exposure to fines and liabilities.
- We are subject to business and financial risks related to the impact of climate change legislation, regulation, and emission reduction goals.
- We are subject to regulatory compliance and proceedings, which could result in increasing costs, regulatory penalties, and/or other sanctions.
- The construction and acquisition of, and capital improvements to, electric and natural gas utility infrastructure, along with Ameren Missouri’s ability to implement its Smart Energy Plan, which is aligned with its 2023 IRP, involve substantial risks.
- Our electric generation, transmission, and distribution facilities are subject to operational risks.
- Ameren Missouri’s ability to obtain an adequate supply of coal could limit operation of its coal-fired energy centers.
- Ameren Missouri’s ownership and operation of a nuclear energy center creates business, financial, and waste disposal risks.
- Our natural gas distribution service businesses involve numerous risks that may result in accidents and increased operating costs.
- Significant portions of our electric generation, transmission, and distribution facilities and natural gas transmission and distribution facilities are aging. This aging infrastructure may require significant additional maintenance or replacement. Ameren Missouri could be adversely affected if it is unable to recover the remaining investment, if any, and decommissioning costs associated with the retirement of an energy center, as well as the ability to earn a return on that remaining investment and those decommissioning costs.
- Energy conservation, energy efficiency, distributed generation, energy storage, technological advances, and other factors could reduce energy demand from our customers.
- Ameren’s holding company structure could limit its ability to pay common stock dividends and to service its debt obligations.
- Significant increases in prices of labor, services, materials and supplies and other costs, including costs associated with our defined benefit retirement and postretirement plans, health care plans, and other employee benefits, could adversely affect our results of operations, financial position, or liquidity.
- Customers’, investors’, legislators’, regulators’, and creditors’ opinions of us are affected by many factors, including system reliability, implementation of our strategic plan, protection of customer information, rates, media coverage, and ESG practices, as well as actions by other utility companies. Negative opinions developed by customers, investors, legislators, regulators, and creditors could harm our reputation.
- We are subject to employee workforce factors that could adversely affect our operations.
- Our operations are subject to acts of sabotage, terrorism, cyber attacks, and other intentionally disruptive acts.
- Our businesses are dependent on our ability to access the capital and credit markets successfully. We might not have access to sufficient capital in the amounts and at the times needed, as well as on reasonable terms.
Management Discussion
- Our results of operations and financial position are affected by many factors. Economic conditions, energy-efficiency investments by our customers and by us, technological advances, distributed generation, and the actions of key customers can significantly affect the demand for our services. Ameren and Ameren Missouri results are also affected by seasonal fluctuations in winter heating and summer cooling demands and by weather conditions, such as storms, as well as by energy center maintenance outages. Additionally, fluctuations in interest rates and conditions in the capital and credit markets affect our cost of borrowing, our pension and postretirement benefits costs, the cash surrender value of COLI, and the asset value of Ameren Missouri’s nuclear decommissioning trust fund. Almost all of Ameren’s revenues are subject to state or federal regulation. This regulation has a material impact on the rates we charge customers for our services. Our results of operations, financial position, and liquidity are affected by our ability to align our overall spending, both operating and capital, with the frameworks established by our regulators. See Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters under Part I, Item 1, of this report and Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters under Part II, Item 8, of the Form 10-K for additional information regarding Ameren Missouri’s, Ameren Illinois’, and ATXI’s regulatory mechanisms.