Great Plains Energy
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA former Kansas City-based energy holding company that owned electric utility and energy-management businesses.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Great Plains Energy Incorporated was an American energy holding company headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. It was established by Kansas City Power & Light Company, now associated with Evergy, on October 1, 2001, to serve as the corporate parent for utility and energy-related operations. Its principal operating businesses included Kansas City Power and Light Company, an electric utility serving customers in parts of Missouri and Kansas, and Strategic Energy, LLC, an energy-management and electricity-supply business. The company’s business model combined regulated electric utility operations with energy-management activities. Through its utility subsidiary, Great Plains Energy participated in the generation, transmission, distribution, and retail delivery of electricity. Strategic Energy broadened the group’s activities beyond the traditional regulated utility model by providing energy procurement and management services. This structure reflected the period’s wider movement among electricity companies toward holding-company arrangements and a mix of regulated and competitive energy businesses. A major expansion came in July 2008, when Great Plains Energy acquired Aquila, Inc. The transaction expanded the company’s utility footprint and strengthened its position in the central United States. Great Plains Energy subsequently remained a substantial regional energy group; in 2014 it appeared at number 855 on the Fortune 1000 list. The company later pursued a combination with Westar Energy. Great Plains Energy and Westar announced merger plans in 2016, but the proposal was rejected by Kansas Corporation Commission regulators, who concluded that the arrangement was unfavorable to Kansas consumers. The companies revised the transaction and announced a new merger plan in 2017. The revised combination received approval from the Missouri Public Service Commission and Kansas regulators by May 24, 2018. The resulting company was named Evergy. Great Plains Energy ceased to operate as an independent corporate brand following the completion of the combination with Westar. On October 7, 2019, the two operating companies formally adopted the Evergy name and began using the Evergy brand in the communities they served. Great Plains Energy is therefore best understood as the predecessor holding-company brand of the modern Evergy utility group, rather than as an active standalone energy company.
History
Great Plains Energy was created on October 1, 2001, when Kansas City Power and Light Company established a holding-company structure for its electric utility and related energy businesses. The new parent company was based in Kansas City, Missouri, and controlled Kansas City Power and Light Company as well as Strategic Energy, LLC. The structure allowed the group to organize its regulated utility activities alongside a separate energy-management business. Kansas City Power and Light Company supplied electricity in parts of Missouri and Kansas. Its activities centered on the conventional utility chain: power generation, electricity transmission and distribution, and service to retail customers. Strategic Energy operated in the competitive energy sector, providing energy-management and electricity-related services. Together, these businesses gave Great Plains Energy exposure to both regulated utility revenues and less-regulated energy services. The company expanded materially in July 2008 through the acquisition of Aquila, Inc. The transaction added utility and energy assets to Great Plains Energy’s portfolio and reinforced its regional position in the central United States. The enlarged company continued to operate as a major regional energy group and was ranked 855th on the Fortune 1000 list in 2014. In 2016, Great Plains Energy entered discussions with Westar Energy about a merger. The proposed transaction required regulatory review because of its implications for electric customers and utility operations in Kansas and Missouri. Kansas Corporation Commission regulators rejected the initial proposal, determining that it was not favorable to Kansas consumers. The rejection did not end the combination effort. Great Plains Energy and Westar announced a revised merger plan in 2017. The revised transaction subsequently received approval from both the Missouri Public Service Commission and Kansas regulators, with the approvals reported by May 24, 2018. The combined enterprise was to operate under the Evergy name. The transaction marked the end of Great Plains Energy as an independent holding-company identity and created the corporate foundation for the modern Evergy organization. The transition to the new brand continued after the combination. On October 7, 2019, the two operating companies formally changed their names and rebranded as Evergy in the communities they served. Great Plains Energy therefore represents a predecessor company in the history of Evergy: it began as the holding company for Kansas City Power and Light, expanded through the Aquila acquisition, and ultimately disappeared as a standalone brand through its approved combination with Westar Energy.
- 2019
Evergy rebranding
[1]On October 7, the two operating companies officially changed names and adopted the Evergy brand in their service communities.
- 2018
Regulatory approval of the combination
[1]The revised Great Plains Energy–Westar combination received approval from Missouri and Kansas regulators by May 24, 2018.
- 2017
Revised Westar merger plan
[1]The companies announced a new merger plan after the initial proposal was rejected.
- 2016
Initial Westar merger proposal
[1]Great Plains Energy and Westar Energy announced plans to merge; Kansas regulators later rejected the proposal as unfavorable to Kansas consumers.
- 2014
Fortune 1000 ranking
[1]Great Plains Energy ranked 855th on the Fortune 1000 list.
- 2008
Aquila acquisition
[1]Great Plains Energy acquired Aquila, Inc. in July, expanding its energy and utility operations.
- 2001
Great Plains Energy is established
[1]Kansas City Power and Light Company established Great Plains Energy as a holding company on October 1, 2001.
Products and positioning
A regional electric-utility holding company combining regulated power operations with competitive energy-management services in the central United States.
Regulated electric utility
Kansas City Power and Light Company
The principal utility business associated with Great Plains Energy. Kansas City Power and Light Company provided electric generation, transmission, distribution, and retail service in parts of Missouri and Kansas. It formed the regulated-utility core of the holding company and supplied electricity to residential, commercial, and other customers within its service territory.
Energy management
Strategic Energy, LLC
An energy-management company owned by Great Plains Energy. Strategic Energy complemented the group’s regulated utility operations with competitive energy services, including activities associated with electricity procurement and management for customers outside the traditional utility model.
Brand decisions
2019
Adopt the Evergy brandStrategyBackground
The approved combination with Westar created a new combined utility group.
Action taken
On October 7, 2019, the two operating companies changed names and rebranded to Evergy in the communities they served.
Aftermath
Great Plains Energy ceased to function as an independent operating brand.
2017
Revise the Westar combinationM&ABackground
The original Great Plains Energy–Westar proposal had been rejected by Kansas regulators.
Action taken
Great Plains Energy and Westar announced a new merger plan designed to address the regulatory objections.
Aftermath
The revised combination was approved by Missouri and Kansas regulators by May 24, 2018, and the combined company was named Evergy.
2016
Propose a merger with Westar EnergyM&ABackground
Great Plains Energy and Westar Energy sought to combine their regional utility operations.
Action taken
The companies announced a merger plan, which Kansas Corporation Commission regulators rejected as unfavorable to Kansas consumers.
Aftermath
The parties developed and announced a revised merger plan in 2017.
2008
Acquire Aquila, Inc.M&ABackground
Great Plains Energy sought to expand its regional utility and energy portfolio.
Action taken
The company acquired Aquila, Inc. in July 2008.
Aftermath
The acquisition broadened Great Plains Energy’s operations in the central United States.
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