Ameren Missouri reaches milestone in plans to build largest wind facility in the state

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The largest-ever wind facility in Missouri is one step closer to producing renewable energy. This morning, the Missouri Public Service Commission voted unanimously to grant Ameren Missouri, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE), a certificate of convenience and necessity to acquire, after construction, a 400-megawatt facility that is expected to be located in Schuyler and Adair counties in northeast Missouri.

"This is an important next step in the process to develop more renewable energy in the state for the long-term benefit of our customers," said Michael Moehn, president of Ameren Missouri.

More milestones remain for the northeast Missouri facility, including obtaining a timely and acceptable Midcontinent Independent System Operator transmission interconnection agreement.

Ameren Missouri has been providing electric and gas service for more than 100 years, and the company's electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. Ameren Missouri's mission is to power the quality of life for its 1.2 million electric and 130,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. The company's service area covers 64 counties and more than 500 communities, including the greater St. Louis area. For more information, visit Ameren.com/Missouri or follow us at @AmerenMissouri or Facebook.com/AmerenMissouri.

Forward-looking Statements
Statements in this release not based on historical facts are considered "forward-looking" and, accordingly, involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed. Although such forward-looking statements have been made in good faith and are based on reasonable assumptions, there is no assurance that the expected results will be achieved. These statements include (without limitation) statements as to future expectations, beliefs, plans, strategies, objectives, events, conditions, and financial performance. In connection with the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, we are providing this cautionary statement to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. The following factors, in addition to those discussed under Risk Factors in Ameren's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and elsewhere in this release and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations suggested in such forward-looking statements:

    --  regulatory, judicial, or legislative actions, and changes in regulatory
        policies and ratemaking determinations, such as Ameren Missouri's
        proposed renewable energy standard rate adjustment mechanism filed with
        the MoPSC in June 2018, and future regulatory, judicial, or legislative
        actions that change recovery mechanisms;
    --  the effects of changes in federal, state, or local laws and other
        governmental actions, including monetary, fiscal, and energy policies;
    --  the effects of changes in federal, state, or local tax laws,
        regulations, interpretations, or rates, amendments or  technical
        corrections to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), and any
        challenges to the tax positions we have taken;
    --  the effects on demand for our services resulting from technological
        advances, including advances in customer energy efficiency and private
        generation sources, which generate electricity at the site of
        consumption and are becoming more cost-competitive;
    --  the cost and availability of fuel, such as ultra-low-sulfur coal,
        natural gas, and enriched uranium used to produce electricity; the cost
        and availability of purchased power, zero-emission credits, renewable
        energy credits, and natural gas for distribution; and the level and
        volatility of future market prices for such commodities and credits,
        including our ability to recover the costs for such commodities and
        credits and our customers' tolerance for any related price increases;
    --  the cost and availability of transmission capacity for the energy
        generated by Ameren Missouri's energy centers or required to satisfy
        Ameren Missouri's energy sales;
    --  the inability of our counterparties to meet their obligations with
        respect to contracts, credit agreements, and financial instruments;
    --  disruptions of the capital markets, deterioration in our credit metrics,
        including as a result of the implementation of the TCJA, or other events
        that may have an adverse effect on the cost or availability of capital,
        including short-term credit and liquidity;
    --  the actions of credit rating agencies and the effects of such actions;
    --  the construction, installation, performance, and cost recovery of
        generation, transmission, and distribution assets;
    --  the impact of current environmental regulations and new, more stringent,
        or changing requirements, including those related to carbon dioxide and
        the related proposed repeal and replacement of the Clean Power Plan and
        potential adoption and implementation of the Affordable Clean Energy
        rule, other emissions and discharges, cooling water intake structures,
        coal combustion residuals, and energy efficiency, that are enacted over
        time and that could limit or terminate the operation of certain of
        Ameren Missouri's energy centers, increase our costs or investment
        requirements, result in an impairment of our assets, cause us to sell
        our assets, reduce our customers' demand for electricity or natural gas,
        or otherwise have a negative financial effect;
    --  the impact of complying with renewable energy portfolio requirements in
        Missouri;
    --  labor disputes, work force reductions, future wage and employee benefits
        costs, including changes in discount rates, mortality tables, and
        returns on benefit plan assets, and other assumptions;
    --  the impact of negative opinions of us or our utility services that our
        customers, legislators, or regulators may have or develop, which could
        result from a variety of factors, including failures in system
        reliability, failure to implement our investment plans or protect
        sensitive customer information, increases in rates, or negative media
        coverage;
    --  the effects of strategic initiatives, including mergers, acquisitions,
        and divestitures;
    --  legal and administrative proceedings; and
    --  acts of sabotage, war, terrorism, or other intentionally disruptive
        acts.

New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all of such factors, nor can it assess the impact of each such factor on the business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained or implied in any forward-looking statement. Given these uncertainties, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements. Except to the extent required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or future events.

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SOURCE Ameren Missouri