Ameren Consolidated 8-K dated July 7, 2006
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
CURRENT
REPORT
Pursuant
to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
Date
of
report (Date of earliest event reported):
Commission
File Number
|
Exact
Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter;
State
of Incorporation;
Address
and Telephone Number
|
IRS
Employer
Identification
Number
|
|
(Missouri
Corporation)
1901
Chouteau Avenue
St.
Louis, Missouri 63103
(314)
621-3222
|
|
1-2967
|
Union
Electric Company
(Missouri
Corporation)
1901
Chouteau Avenue
St.
Louis, Missouri 63103
(314)
621-3222
|
43-0559760
|
1-3672
|
Central
Illinois Public Service Company
(Illinois
Corporation)
607
East Adams Street
Springfield,
Illinois 62739
(217)
523-3600
|
37-0211380
|
333-56594
|
Ameren
Energy Generating Company
(Illinois
Corporation)
1901
Chouteau Avenue
St.
Louis, Missouri 63103
(314)
621-3222
|
37-1395586
|
2-95569
|
CILCORP
Inc.
(Illinois
Corporation)
300
Liberty Street
Peoria,
Illinois 61602
(309)
677-5271
|
37-1169387
|
1-2732
|
Central
Illinois Light Company
(Illinois
Corporation)
300
Liberty Street
Peoria,
Illinois 61602
(309)
677-5271
|
37-0211050
|
1-3004
|
Illinois
Power Company
(Illinois
Corporation)
370
South Main Street
Decatur,
Illinois 62523
(217)
434-6600
|
37-0344645
|
Check
the
appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously
satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following
provisions:
[
]
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR
230.425)
[
]
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14a-12)
[
]
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange
Act
(17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
[
]
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange
Act
(17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
ITEM
1.02
Termination of a Material Definitive Agreement.
Reference
is made to Note 2 - Rate and Regulatory Matters and Note 7 - Related Party
Transactions to the financial statements under Part I, Item 1, Outlook under
Part I, Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations, and Risk Factors under Part II, Item 1A in the Form
10-Q
for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2006, of registrant Ameren Corporation
(“Ameren”) and its registrant subsidiaries, Union Electric Company, doing
business as AmerenUE (“UE”), Central Illinois Public Service Company, doing
business as AmerenCIPS (“CIPS”), Ameren Energy Generating Company (“Genco”),
CILCORP Inc., Central Illinois Light Company, doing business as AmerenCILCO
("CILCO") and Illinois Power Company, doing business as AmerenIP (“IP”)
(collectively, the “registrants”), for a discussion of the joint dispatch
agreement among UE, CIPS and Genco and the Illinois power procurement auction.
Reference is also made to Note 14 - Related Party Transactions to the financial
statements under Part II, Item 8 in the registrants’ Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005, for a discussion of the joint
dispatch agreement. The joint dispatch agreement as last amended and restated
effective January 10, 2006 (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on
Form
8-K of Ameren, UE, CIPS and Genco dated January 9, 2006) (“JDA”), under which UE
and Genco jointly dispatch electric generation, provides each affiliate the
option to serve its load requirements from its own generation first and then
to
allow access to any available remaining generation to its affiliate at
incremental cost. Any excess generation not used by UE or Genco to serve
load
requirements is sold to third parties on a short-term basis. Under the
provisions of the JDA, the margins from third party sales are allocated between
UE and Genco based on generation output. CIPS is no longer an active participant
under the JDA due to the transfer of its power plants to Genco in 2000. The
JDA
established no specific termination date for the agreement but provided any
party the right to terminate it on one year’s notice. The JDA may be terminated
earlier by mutual consent of the parties.
On
July
7, 2006, UE, CIPS and Genco mutually consented to waive the one year termination
notice requirement and agreed to terminate the JDA on December 31, 2006.
This
action with respect to the JDA will require acceptance by the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (“FERC”).
The
benefits of the JDA to UE and Genco have changed recently due to the emergence
of transparent wholesale markets, the dispatching of generation being conducted
by the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc. (“MISO”), and
changes to the Illinois regulatory framework, among other things. As a result,
UE believes the benefit it will receive from retaining the power it was
transferring under the JDA to Genco at incremental cost will exceed the benefit
it would have received from being able to call upon Genco’s generation under the
JDA at
incremental
cost. Since UE was prepared to immediately provide Genco with one year
notice of
termination, Genco believes the potential benefit it could receive from
being
able to call upon UE’s generation through June 2007 is outweighed by, among
other things, the negative consequences associated with the continued existence
of the JDA past December 31, 2006. In particular, Genco believes that the
JDA is
no longer necessary or effective in dispatching Genco’s generation jointly with
that of UE due to changes in the marketplace for the sale of electricity,
including the MISO Day Two Energy Market, and the centralized dispatching
of
generation by MISO. Additionally, the JDA is based on a combined control
area for the UE and CIPS transmission facilities located in Missouri and
Illinois, respectively. This combined control area creates operational
inefficiencies for Genco to effectively participate through Ameren Energy
Marketing Company (“Marketing Company”) in the Illinois power procurement
auction for power beginning January 1, 2007. In conjunction with
terminating the JDA, Ameren’s transmission-owning entities intend to restructure
their control areas so as to have one control area in Missouri for UE’s
transmission facilities and one in Illinois for the transmission facilities
of
CIPS, CILCO and IP.
As
a
result of the termination of the JDA on December 31, 2006, UE and Genco
will no
longer have the obligation to provide power to each other. In 2005, Genco
received from UE under the JDA net transfers of 8.7 million megawatthours
of
power at an average price of $18 per megawatthour and generated 14.2 million
megawatthours of power from its plants at an average cost of approximately
$18
per megawatthour. This power, along with 1.2 million megawatthours purchased
from Electric Energy, Inc. (“EEI”), which is 40% owned by UE and 40% owned by
Ameren Energy Development Company, was used in 2005 to supply CIPS’ load and
other wholesale and retail customers at an average selling price of $35
per
megawatthour. In 2005, Genco also sold 3.3 million net megawatthours of
power in
the interchange market at $47 per megawatthour. Upon termination of the
JDA,
Genco will no longer receive the margins on sales that were supplied with
power
from UE. However, Genco will still have access to its own generation and
expects
to be able to sell this power at higher average prices than this power
was sold
for in 2005 because of the expiration of its power supply contract with
CIPS and
the expiration of contracts to supply other wholesale and retail customers
on or
before December 31, 2006. Genco currently expects to generate approximately
17.5
million megawatthours of power in 2007. By 2007, only 5.2 million megawatthours
of power covered by wholesale and retail electric power supply agreements
that
were in effect in 2005 will remain outstanding. These agreements have an
average
embedded selling price of $36 per megawatthour. All other power supply
agreements in effect in 2005 will expire by the end of 2006 and any available
generation will be sold at prevailing market prices. Genco and AmerenEnergy
Resources Generating Company (“AERG”) (a subsidiary of CILCO) through their
affiliate Marketing Company and UE will have the opportunity to participate
in
the Illinois power procurement auction for 2007. However, they would be
subject
to a limitation of 35% of CIPS’, CILCO’s and IP’s annual load, or about 13
million megawatthours, which is an auction restriction imposed on any single
supplier providing power to CIPS, CILCO and IP through the auction. Ameren
affiliated companies will be considered one supplier for purposes of this
limitation.
Ameren’s
earnings will be affected by the termination of the JDA when UE’s rates are
adjusted by the Missouri Public Service Commission (MoPSC). As noted in
the
press release (Exhibit 99.1 hereto) incorporated by reference under Item
8.01
below, UE announced on July 7, 2006, that it had filed a request with the
MoPSC
to increase its electric rates by $361 million. UE’s requested increase is net
of the decrease in its revenue requirement resulting from increased margins
expected to result from the termination of the JDA. UE’s proposed rate increase
is subject to review and approval by the MoPSC.
In
2007, Ameren’s earnings are also expected to be impacted by the expiration on
December 31, 2006, of the contract for AERG to supply CILCO with power.
AERG
currently expects to generate approximately 7 million megawatthours of
power in
2007 compared to 5.9 million megawatthours of power that was generated
in 2005
at an average cost of approximately $15 per megawatthour. In 2005, this
power
was sold principally to CILCO at an average price of $32 per megawatthour.
In
addition, AERG sold 1 million net megawatthours of power in the interchange
market at $38 per megawatthour in 2005. In 2007, all of AERG’s power will be
sold at prevailing market prices. On December 31, 2005, a power supply
agreement
with EEI for UE, CIPS (whose entitlement was resold to Marketing Company)
and IP
expired. Power supplied under the agreement by EEI to UE, Marketing Company
and
IP was priced at EEI’s cost-based rates. Power previously supplied under this
agreement to UE, Marketing Company and IP is being sold at market prices
in
2006, which are above EEI’s cost-based rates and will continue to be sold at
market prices in 2007. However, in 2006, UE, Genco (which supplies Marketing
Company) and IP are replacing power previously received from EEI either
through
the use of their own higher-cost generation or higher-cost power purchases.
In
2005, EEI generated 7.9 million megawatthours of power. UE, CIPS (which
resold
the power to Marketing Company) and IP purchased 3.0 million, 2.0 million
and
1.2 million megawatthours, respectively, from EEI at an average price of
$20 per
megawatthour. The remaining generation was sold to EEI’s minority owner. The
expiration of this agreement and the resulting decrease in UE’s margins and
increase in its revenue requirement was also reflected in UE’s July 7, 2006,
request to the MoPSC to increase electric rates discussed
above.
The
ultimate impact of all of the matters mentioned above on the registrants’
results of operation, financial position, or liquidity cannot be predicted
at
this time.
ITEM
8.01
Other Events.
On
July
7, 2006, UE issued press releases announcing that it had filed requests with
the
MoPSC for increases in electric and natural gas rates. The press releases
are
attached as Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2 and are incorporated herein by
reference.
ITEM
9.01
Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d)
Exhibits
Exhibit
Number: Title:
99.1 |
Press release dated July 7, 2006 regarding electric rate increase
request
|
99.2 |
Press release dated July 7, 2006 regarding natural gas rate increase
request
|
--------------------
This
combined Form 8-K is being filed separately by each registrant. Information
contained herein relating to any individual registrant has been filed by such
registrant on its own behalf. No registrant makes any representation as to
information relating to any other registrant.
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
Statements
in this report 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” provi-sions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the registrants 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 elsewhere in this report and in the registrants’
other filings with the SEC, could cause actual results to differ materially
from
management expectations suggested in such forward-looking
statements:
· |
regulatory
actions, including changes in regulatory policies and ratemaking
determinations;
|
· |
changes
in laws and other governmental actions, including monetary and fiscal
policies;
|
· |
the
effects of increased competition in the future due to, among other
things,
deregulation of certain aspects of the registrants’ business at both the
state and federal levels, and the implementation of deregulation,
such as
when the current electric rate freeze and current power supply contracts
expire in Illinois at the end of
2006;
|
· |
the
effects of participation in the
MISO;
|
· |
the
availability of fuel such as coal, natural gas and enriched uranium
used
to produce electricity; the availability of purchased power and natural
gas for distribution; and the level and volatility of future market
prices
for such commodities, including the ability to recover the costs
for such
commodities;
|
· |
the
effectiveness of the registrants’ risk management strategies and the use
of financial and derivative instruments;
|
· |
prices
for power in the Midwest;
|
· |
business
and economic conditions, including their impact on interest rates;
|
· |
disruptions
of the capital markets or other events that make the registrants
access to
necessary capital more difficult or
costly;
|
· |
the
impact of the adoption of new accounting standards and the application
of
appropriate technical accounting rules and guidance;
|
· |
actions
of credit rating agencies and the effects of such actions;
|
· |
weather
conditions and other natural phenomena;
|
· |
generation
plant construction, installation and performance, including costs
associated with UE’s Taum Sauk pumped-storage hydroelectric plant incident
and its future operation;
|
· |
operation
of UE’s nuclear power facility, including planned and unplanned outages,
and decommissioning costs;
|
· |
the
effects of strategic initiatives, including acquisitions and divestitures;
|
· |
the
impact of current environmental regulations on utilities and power
generating companies and the expectation that more stringent requirements
will be introduced over time, which could have a negative financial
effect;
|
· |
labor
disputes and future wage and employee benefits costs, including changes
in
returns on benefit plan assets;
|
· |
the
inability of the registrants’ counterparties to meet their obligations
with respect to contracts and financial instruments;
|
· |
the
cost and availability of transmission capacity for the energy generated
by
the registrants’ facilities or required to satisfy energy sales made by
the registrants;
|
· |
legal
and administrative proceedings; and
|
· |
acts
of sabotage, war, terrorism or intentionally disruptive acts.
|
Given
these uncertainties, undue reliance should not be placed on these
forward-looking statements. Except to the extent required by the federal
securities laws, the registrants undertake no obligation to publicly update
or
revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or future
events.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each registrant
has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto
duly authorized. The signature for each undersigned company shall be deemed
to
relate only to matters having reference to such company or its
subsidiaries.
AMEREN
CORPORATION
(Registrant)
/s/
Martin J.
Lyons
Martin
J.
Lyons
Vice
President and Controller
(Principal
Accounting Officer)
UNION
ELECTRIC COMPANY
(Registrant)
/s/
Martin J.
Lyons
Martin
J.
Lyons
Vice
President and Controller
(Principal
Accounting Officer)
CENTRAL
ILLINOIS PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY
(Registrant)
/s/
Martin J.
Lyons
Martin
J.
Lyons
Vice
President and Controller
(Principal
Accounting Officer)
AMEREN
ENERGY GENERATING COMPANY
(Registrant)
/s/
Martin J.
Lyons
Martin
J.
Lyons
Vice
President and Controller
(Principal
Accounting Officer)
CILCORP
Inc.
(Registrant)
/s/
Martin J.
Lyons
Martin
J.
Lyons
Vice
President and Controller
(Principal
Accounting Officer)
CENTRAL
ILLINOIS LIGHT COMPANY
(Registrant)
/s/
Martin J.
Lyons
Martin
J.
Lyons
Vice
President and Controller
(Principal
Accounting Officer)
ILLINOIS
POWER COMPANY
(Registrant)
/s/
Martin J.
Lyons
Martin
J.
Lyons
Vice
President and Controller
(Principal
Accounting Officer)
Date:
July 7, 2006
Exhibit
Index
Exhibit
Number: Title:
99.1 |
Press release dated July 7, 2006 regarding electric rate increase
request
|
99.2 |
Press
release dated July 7, 2006 regarding natural gas rate increase
request
|
-7-