News Release

For more information contact: Linda Berry, (785) 271-3269 or Samir Arif, (785) 271-3188

December 1, 2016

Kansas Corporation Commission Invites Public to Comment on Great Plains Energy/Kansas City Power & Light Acquisition of Westar Energy

The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) invites the public to provide comments on Great Plains Energy's proposed acquisition of Westar Energy. Great Plains Energy is the parent company of Kansas City Power and Light (KCPL).

The public hearing on the proposed acquisition will be held on Monday, December 5th, 2016 at 6 p.m. at the Shawnee Heights High School, located at 4201 Southeast Shawnee Heights Road, Tecumseh, KS 66542. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the proposed acquisition and make comments to KCC Commissioners. Comments received will be entered into the official record.

Those unable to attend in person can watch the hearing live and submit written comments for the record from the Commission's website: www.kcc.ks.gov. In the event of technical difficulty or for those unable to watch live, a recording of the hearing will be available on the Commission's website beginning December 6th, 2016. The live stream and recording will be close-captioned.

Members of the public may also make comments to the official record through 5 p.m. CST, January 18. Comments will be posted to the docket at the end of the comment period.

In July 2016, Great Plains Energy, Kansas City Power and Light, and Westar Energy filed a joint application with the KCC seeking approval for Great Plains Energy to acquire Westar Energy for $12.2 billion. If approved, Great Plains Energy will own the two largest jurisdictional utilities in Kansas, totaling 950,000 customers, 13,000 MW of generating capacity, 10,000 miles of transmission lines and 51,000 miles of distribution lines.

The KCC will evaluate the terms of the acquisition to ensure that the merger serves the general public interest, as well as to ensure Kansas customers continue to have access to utility service at just and reasonable rates.

Any person requiring special accommodations at the hearing site under the Americans with Disabilities Act needs to give notice to the Commission prior to the scheduled hearing date by calling (785) 271-3140.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

The KCC will accept public comments through 5 p.m. CST, January 18, 2017. There are three convenient ways to submit a comment:

  1. Go to the KCC website: www.kcc.ks.gov to enter your comment. Click on the link under Your Opinion Matters.
  2. Send a letter to the Kansas Corporation Commission, Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, 1500 SW Arrowhead Road, Topeka, KS 66604 4027. Be sure to reference Docket #16-KCPE-593-ACQ.
  3. Call the Commission's Public Affairs office at 1 800 662 0027 or (785) 271 3140.