Unassociated Document
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
|
Washington,
D.C. 20549
|
|
FORM
8-K
|
|
Current
Report
|
|
Pursuant
to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
|
Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
|
|
|
Date
of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 1,
2007
|
|
Commission
File
Number
|
|
Registrant,
State of Incorporation,
Address
and Telephone Number
|
|
I.R.S.
Employer
Identification
Number
|
|
|
|
|
|
001-32206
|
|
GREAT
PLAINS ENERGY INCORPORATED
|
|
43-1916803
|
|
|
(A
Missouri Corporation)
|
|
|
|
|
1201
Walnut Street
|
|
|
|
|
Kansas
City, Missouri 64106
|
|
|
|
|
(816)
556-2200
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOT
APPLICABLE
|
|
|
(Former
name or former address,
if
changed since last report)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
000-51873
|
|
KANSAS
CITY POWER & LIGHT COMPANY
|
|
44-0308720
|
|
|
(A
Missouri Corporation)
|
|
|
|
|
1201
Walnut Street
|
|
|
|
|
Kansas
City, Missouri 64106
|
|
|
|
|
(816)
556-2200
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOT
APPLICABLE
|
|
|
(Former
name or former address,
if
changed since last report)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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))
|
Great
Plains Energy Incorporated (Great Plains Energy) and Kansas City
Power & Light Company (KCP&L) (Registrants) are separately filing
this combined Current Report on Form 8-K (Report). Information contained herein
relating to an individual Registrant is furnished by such registrant on its
own
behalf. Each Registrant makes representations only as to information relating
to
itself.
On
March
1, 2007, Great Plains Energy issued a press release announcing that KCP&L
filed a request to increase its Kansas retail electric rates with the Kansas
Corporation Commission. A copy of the press release is attached to this Report
as Exhibit 99.
Item
9.01
|
Financial
Statements and Exhibits
|
|
|
(c) Exhibit
No.
|
|
|
|
99
|
Press
release issued by Great Plains Energy Incorporated on
March
1, 2007.
|
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant
has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto
duly authorized.
|
GREAT
PLAINS ENERGY INCORPORATED
|
|
|
|
/s/Terry
Bassham
|
|
Terry
Bassham
|
|
Executive
Vice President- Finance & Strategic Development and Chief Financial
Officer
|
|
KANSAS
CITY POWER & LIGHT COMPANY
|
|
|
|
/s/Terry
Bassham
|
|
Terry
Bassham
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
Date: March
2, 2007
Unassociated Document
Media: Tom
Robinson
(816)
556-2902
Investor: Todd
Allen
(816)
556-2083
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
KANSAS
CITY POWER & LIGHT FILES RATE REQUEST IN KANSAS
Rate
increase to support air quality improvement investments and increased
fuel
and operating expenses
Kansas
City, MO (Mar. 1, 2007)
- Kansas
City Power & Light (KCP&L), a subsidiary of Great Plains Energy (NYSE:
GXP), today filed a request with the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) to
increase rates for electric service in order to help recover costs of air
quality improvement investments included in its Comprehensive Energy Plan (CEP),
as well as higher fuel and other operational costs. The requested increase
would
add approximately $9.11 to a typical Kansas residential customer’s average
monthly bill.
The
increase reflects the cost of a key CEP component coming online in 2007 that
will improve air quality in Kansas City -- the new Selective Catalytic Reduction
(SCR) system at La
Cygne
Generating Station in Linn County, Kansas. This system will dramatically reduce
the plant’s emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), a contributor to ground-level
ozone. While vehicles are the largest contributor to ground-level ozone, the
$80
million SCR system at La Cygne Generating Station is a significant voluntary
step in improving Kansas City’s air quality.
KCP&L’s
plan to move forward with the environmental upgrade to the La Cygne plant has
been applauded by the Mid-America Regional Council’s (MARC) Air Quality
Forum.
“This
project is the single largest voluntary contribution to helping the Kansas
City
area maintain its attainment status under the EPA’s eight-hour ozone standard,”
said David Warm, executive director of MARC. “Working with existing power plants
to reduce emissions is the cornerstone of the MARC Clean Air Action
Plan.”
“It
is
important that projects such as the SCR at our La Cygne Generating Station,
which will be in service before the 2007 ozone season, be completed. This
technology is the most effective method available for reducing nitrogen oxides
emissions in plants like La Cygne,” said Michael Chesser, Great Plains Energy
Chairman and CEO.
The
rate
request is also driven by higher fuel, purchased power, and other operating
costs expected before the rate increase goes into effect in 2008. Current Kansas
residential rates are 25
percent below the July 2006 national average and near what customers paid in
1988. Since that time, KCP&L has invested heavily in system efficiency and
reliability, resulting in system reliability being among the top 25 percent
of
utilities nationwide.
“KCP&L
is one of the most efficient utilities nationally and we are continuing to
execute our Comprehensive Energy Plan,” said Chesser. “We have made improvements
to ensure our customers and the community have affordable, reliable, and clean
electric power. At the same time, we project substantial fuel and operating
cost
increases in 2007 that are not reflected in our current rates. While
efficiencies have allowed us to keep rates low, we
must
address these rising costs now.”
During
2006, KCP&L completed its 100.5 MW Spearville Wind Energy Facility,
introduced award-winning energy efficiency and demand response programs, and
completed a significant portion of the structural work for the La Cygne SCR
equipment. This approach minimized the out-of-service time for La Cygne Unit
1
and ensured the environmental upgrades would be ready ahead of the 2007 ozone
season.
“Our
decision to invest in emission controls in advance of regulatory mandates helps
manage project costs, ensure affordable, reliable, and clean electric power,
and
supports the community’s bright economic future,” said William Downey, president
and chief executive officer of KCP&L.
In
Kansas, KCP&L is seeking a $47.1 million or 10.8 percent increase in
electric revenues. Approximately 40 percent of the increase is attributable
to
increased cost of fuel to generate electricity. KCP&L is required to
separate fuel cost recovery from its basic charge. This component will appear
as
a separate item on customers’ bills. Separation of fuel charges from basic
charges is in place for other utilities in Kansas. KCP&L expects that any
rate changes approved by the KCC including separation of fuel recovery from
basic charges will take effect January 1, 2008. KCP&L intends to continue
its collaborative approach during the rate process, which will include public
hearings and other opportunities for stakeholder input. KCP&L filed a
similar request in Missouri on February 1, 2007.
Headquartered
in Kansas City, Mo., KCP&L (www.kcpl.com)
is a
leading regulated provider of electricity in the Midwest. KCP&L is a wholly
owned subsidiary of Great Plains Energy Incorporated (NYSE: GXP), the holding
company for KCP&L and Strategic Energy L.L.C., a competitive electricity
supplier.
Information
Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Statements
made in this release that are not based on historical facts are forward-looking,
may involve risks and uncertainties, and are intended to be as of the date
when
made. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements
regarding projected delivered volumes and margins, the outcome of regulatory
proceedings, cost estimates of the comprehensive energy plan and other matters
affecting future operations. In connection with the safe harbor provisions
of
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Great Plains Energy is
providing a number of important factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from the provided forward-looking information. These important
factors include: future economic conditions in the regional, national and
international markets, including but not limited to regional and national
wholesale electricity markets; market perception of the energy industry and
Great Plains Energy; changes in business strategy, operations or development
plans; effects of current or proposed state and federal legislative and
regulatory actions or developments, including, but not limited to, deregulation,
re-regulation and restructuring of the electric utility industry; decisions
of
regulators regarding rates its subsidiaries can charge for electricity; adverse
changes in applicable laws, regulations, rules, principles or practices
governing tax, accounting and environmental matters including, but not limited
to, air and water quality; financial market conditions and performance
including, but not limited to, changes in interest rates and in availability
and
cost of capital and the effects on pension plan assets and costs; credit
ratings; inflation rates; effectiveness of risk management policies and
procedures and the ability of counterparties to satisfy their contractual
commitments; impact of terrorist acts; increased competition including, but
not
limited to, retail choice in the electric utility industry and the entry of
new
competitors; ability to carry out marketing and sales plans; weather conditions
including weather-related damage; cost, availability, quality and deliverability
of fuel; ability to achieve generation planning goals and the occurrence and
duration of unplanned generation outages; delays in the anticipated in-service
dates and cost increases of additional generating capacity; nuclear operations;
ability to enter new markets successfully and capitalize on growth opportunities
in non-regulated businesses and the effects of competition; application of
critical accounting policies, including, but not limited to, those related
to
derivatives and pension liabilities; workforce risks including compensation
and
benefits costs; performance of projects undertaken by non-regulated businesses
and the success of efforts to invest in and develop new opportunities; the
ability to successfully complete merger, acquisitions or divestiture plans
(including the acquisition of Aquila, Inc., and the sale of assets to Black
Hills Corporation); and other risks and uncertainties. Other risk factors are
detailed from time to time in Great Plains Energy’s most recent quarterly report
on Form 10-Q or annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. This list of factors is not all-inclusive because it is
not
possible to predict all factors.