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Wind Power Begins to Flow for KCP&L; Company's New Wind Facility Now Producing Electricity for Customers

Posted on: Tuesday, 12 September 2006, 12:01 CDT

Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L), a subsidiary of Great Plains Energy (NYSE: GXP), announced its Spearville Wind Energy Facility is fully operational.

The site's 67 wind turbines are capable of producing 100.5 megawatts of electricity. That is enough clean, renewable electricity to serve the annual energy needs of approximately 33,000 homes.

"Putting these wind turbines on the power grid is an important milestone in our comprehensive plan to meet the growing energy needs of the Kansas City area," said Kansas City Power & Light CEO Bill Downey. "This wind facility, combined with several innovative demand response and energy efficiency programs and investments in technologies to substantially reduce air emissions at existing power plants, and a new power plant near Weston, Mo., is part of our balanced approach to power generation that will provide significant environmental and economic benefits."

Governor Kathleen Sebelius said, "I commend KCP&L for their site selection of Spearville out of the heart of the Flint Hills and for their leadership in developing this clean and renewable resource."

Construction of the 67 wind turbines began last June. When completed, total capital cost of the project will be approximately $166 million.

KCP&L is the first regulated electric utility to own and operate a large-scale wind facility in Kansas. The 100.5-megawatt facility is located near Spearville, Kan., about 17 miles northeast of Dodge City.

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.

New KCP&L Wind Energy Facility

At a glance

Each of the facility's 67 wind turbines produces 1.5 megawatts of electricity for a total of 100.5 megawatts.

Tower height is 262 feet.

Each blade is 121 feet long.

Tower with blade fully extended is 391 feet high. That is just 90 feet shorter that the landmark, 34-story Power & Light building located in Downtown Kansas City. The wind turbine towers are visible from Dodge City, 17 miles southwest.

The facility encompasses approximately 5,000 acres -- each turbine takes about 1 acre of land. The remaining land will be used for agriculture.

Audubon of Kansas and The Nature Conservancy endorse the site.

The site includes a new electrical substation to deliver energy to the power grid.

Total cost of the facility is approximately $166 million.

CERTAIN FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION -- 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, the Company 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 KCP&L 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 and other risks and uncertainties. Other risk factors are detailed from time to time in the Company'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.

Source: Business Wire

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