As recently as 2017, Ameren argued before utility regulators at the Missouri Public Service Commission that it should be allowed to recover more than $200,000 tied to membership dues for groups such as UARG, “since Ameren Missouri customers benefit from membership in these groups,” according to testimony from Laura Moore, the company’s director of regulatory accounting.

Ameren also suggested that lobbying is not the focus of UARG, and said that the group’s charter prohibits “legislative lobbying” — though it was unclear if that extends to the regulatory arena.

The PSC sees things differently.

While reviewing Ameren’s finances during a rate case in 2015, PSC staff voiced “concerns with the amount of lobbying that is performed by” UARG and other groups, according to testimony from Jason Kunst, a utility regulatory auditor for the agency. That lobbying didn’t necessarily align with the interests of ratepayers, Kunst said.