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Evergy, Inc. is an American investor-owned utility (IOU) with publicly traded stock with headquarters in Topeka, Kansas, and in Kansas City, Missouri. The company was formed from a merger of Westar Energy of Topeka and Great Plains Energy of Kansas City, parent company of Kansas City Power & Light. Evergy is the largest electric company in Kansas, serving more than 1.7 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in Kansas and Missouri.[2] Its more than 40 power plants have generating capacity of 16,000 megawatt electricity in Kansas and Missouri. Service territory covers 28,130 square miles (72,900 km2) in east Kansas and west Missouri. It owns more than 10,100 miles (16,300 km) of transmission lines and about 52,000 miles (84,000 km) of distribution lines.

Key Information

History of Westar Energy

[edit]
Westar headquarters at 818 S Kansas Ave. in downtown Topeka

Western Resources was the product of a 1992 merger between the two major electric companies in eastern Kansas, Kansas Gas and Electric (KG&E) of Wichita and Kansas Power and Light (KPL) of Topeka.

KG&E was founded in 1909 when the American Power and Light Company took over electric companies in Wichita, Pittsburg and Frontenac. Within a decade, it served over 48,000 people in 50 cities and towns. It also provided natural gas to several of the larger cities in its service territory.[3]

KPL was founded in 1924, and quickly expanded across northeastern Kansas. In 1983, it merged with The Gas Service Company, a natural gas utility serving customers in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma.[3]

In 1992, KPL merged with KG&E to become Western Resources, with KPL and KG&E as operating companies. The merger created one of the largest utilities in the Midwest, serving 560,000 electric customers and 1.06 million natural gas customers in three states. In 1996, Western Resources sold its natural gas business to ONEOK as Kansas Gas Service; this company is now part of ONE Gas. In return, Western Resources acquired a 45 percent stake in ONEOK; it sold this stake in 2003.[3]

In 2002, Western Resources officially changed its name to Westar Energy, and all of its subsidiaries began doing business under that name.[3]

History of Kansas City Power & Light

[edit]
The art deco Kansas City Power and Light Building is the former headquarters of the company and was the tallest building west of the Mississippi until 1942, tallest in Missouri until 1976, and tallest in Kansas City until 1986. It is the namesake of the downtown Kansas City Power & Light District.
On July 8, 2010, Barack Obama visited the Smith Electric Vehicles plant at Kansas City International Airport. KCP&L has bought a fleet of electric powered trucks from Smith.

Kansas City Power and Light Company was an electric utility serving the Kansas City metropolitan area. It was a wholly owned subsidiary, and biggest component, of Great Plains Energy.

In November 1881, Joseph S. Chick obtained the exclusive rights to use the Thompson-Houston arc lighting system in the counties of Jackson, Missouri, and Wyandotte, Kansas, for $4,000. In December, the initial franchise to establish an electric works in the City of Kansas, Missouri, was granted to Lysander R. Moore and later assigned to Kawsmouth Electric Light Company. Construction was begun in February 1882 on a power plant on a tract of land at the southeast corner of 8th and Santa Fe Streets in the West Bottoms. Kawsmouth Electric Light Company built quickly and, on Saturday night, May 13, 1882, brought electric illumination to the first 13 customers on the west side of Main Street in the downtown district. In 1885, the company reincorporated as Kansas City Electric Light Company.[citation needed]

Weeks spun off the Edison Electric Light & Power Company to meet residential demand. An electric war ensued when in 1883 J. Ogden Armour, heir to the Armour Packing Company, purchased the company on May 14, 1900, to power the Metropolitan Street Railway Company and Kansas City Electric Light Company. Under Armour, the company bought competitors and built a new power plant in 1903, providing steam heat to downtown businesses. The company focused on the trolley company and in 1911 it went into receivership. In October 1917, the company spun off the trolley business (which still controlled some power plants) and emerged from bankruptcy as Kansas City Light & Power Company with Edison Pioneer, Joseph F. Porter, as President.[4] Porter found the weakened company's most urgent needs were for more energy and more efficient plants. Thus, the company began construction on the Northeast Power station, the company's first modern generating complex.

Increased construction costs forced the company to reincorporate again, in June 1919, as Kansas City Power and Light Company. After acquiring the Carroll County Electric Company on July 29, 1922, the reorganized company became Kansas City Power & Light Company, adopting the ampersand and corporate name that continues. Armour sold his interest in 1923. Continental Gas & Electric Corporation purchased the controlling interest in 1924 and was part of United Light and Power until United dissolved in 1950.

Under Porter's twenty-one year leadership, the company prospered. Capitalization rose from $7 million to $82.5 million (or $160 million to $1.89 billion in 2025, inflation adjusted). Assured of a strong financial base, Porter ordered construction of the 32-story Kansas City Power and Light Building, which was completed in 1931 and remained the company's headquarters until 1991. Today, the building remains a prominent feature of the downtown Kansas City skyline and namesake for the Kansas City Power & Light District. In 1938, Porter resigned his position as president, though he remained chairman of the board until his death in 1942.

The Hawthorn Station, situated on the Missouri River, was started in 1948, and the first of two units were completed in 1951. Two other units followed and were fully operational by 1956. Kansas City Power became independent in 1950. It acquired Eastern Kansas Utilities in 1952. It was part of a consortium that built Wolf Creek Nuclear Generating Station in Burlington, Kansas.

On October 1, 2001, a holding company, Great Plains Energy Incorporated, was established in Kansas City, Missouri that owned electric utility Kansas City Power and Light Company and Strategic Energy, LLC, an energy management company.

It acquired Aquila, Inc. in July, 2008.[5]

In 2014, it ranked number 855 on the Fortune 1000 list.[6]

Merger of KCP&L and Westar

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In 2016, Great Plains Energy and Westar announced merger plans,[7] but this proposed merger was rejected by Kansas Corporation Commission utility regulators as unfavorable to Kansas consumers.[8] A new merger plan with Great Plains was announced in 2017.[9] As of May 24, 2018, this merger has been approved by both the Missouri Public Service Commission and the Kansas Corporation Commission, with the combined company to be named Evergy.[10] KCP&L and Westar became the two operating companies of Evergy.

On October 7, 2019, the Westar and KCP&L brands were retired and the company adopted the Evergy brand across its entire service territory.[verification needed]

On December 28, 2022, the company switched its stock exchange listing to the Nasdaq Global Select Market.[11]

Generation portfolio

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Controversies

[edit]

In 1999, Western Resources restated its consolidated financial statements for 1999, 1998, and 1997 and for each of the periods of 2000, related to the Westinghouse Security Systems (WSS) acquisition.[12]

On November 1, 2002, Westar Energy announced the restating of results for its first and second quarter, to account for additional impairment at its Protection One Inc. (POI) unit.[13]

On January 14, 2003, Westar Energy Inc was charged for transactions involving power sales from one Cleco Corporation affiliate to Westar and then back to another or the same Cleco affiliate,[14] and paid $30,000,000 for the settlement.

On March 25, 2004, Westar Energy restated its 2003 annual financial results, after realizing that it might have understated its cash flow from operations for the year.[15]

Awards

[edit]

Evergy was named one of the "Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America" by Springbuk in 2019.[16]

In May 2019, Forbes named Evergy as one of America's "Best Top 500 Employers".[17]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Evergy

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Evergy, Inc. (: EVRG) is a regulated that generates, transmits, distributes, and sells to approximately 1.7 million customers across and . Formed in 2018 through the merger of Great Plains Energy Incorporated and Westar Energy, Inc., the company operates primarily through its subsidiaries Evergy Kansas Central, Inc., Evergy Metro, Inc., and Evergy Missouri West, Inc. Headquartered in , Evergy maintains a diverse generation portfolio with a total capacity of approximately 16,981 megawatts as of the end of 2024, including 6,235 MW from , 4,295 MW from , 1,219 MW from nuclear, 685 MW from , and 4,547 MW from renewables such as and solar. The company's infrastructure encompasses approximately 71,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines and more than 900 substations, supporting service to residential, commercial, and industrial users in both urban and rural areas. With around 4,731 employees as of 2024, Evergy emphasizes reliability, affordability, and sustainability in its operations, sourcing nearly 50% of its electricity from emission-free resources like renewables and nuclear power as of 2024. As of 2024, the company has achieved a 57% reduction in CO2 emissions from 2005 levels. The company has committed to reducing Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 70% from 2005 levels by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2045, while investing in renewable energy additions and grid modernization to meet growing demand.

Company Overview

Operations and Service Territory

Evergy, Inc. is a regulated that provides to approximately 1.7 million customers across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors in and . As the largest in , it focuses on delivering reliable, affordable power while integrating clean energy sources into its operations. The company's customer base reflects a diverse demographic, including urban households in metropolitan areas, rural communities, and major industrial operations, with ongoing contributing to steady demand. Evergy's service territory covers 28,130 square miles, primarily in eastern and western , spanning dimensions of about 316 miles east-west and 325 miles north-south. This area includes key urban centers such as Topeka, Wichita, and the Kansas City metropolitan region, along with surrounding suburban and rural locales. Operations are conducted through four primary subsidiaries: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc., its wholly owned subsidiary Evergy Kansas South, Inc., Evergy Missouri West, Inc., and Evergy Metro, Inc., each managing distinct regional service areas in Kansas and Missouri. The utility's infrastructure supports this extensive coverage with a diverse portfolio of power plants providing a total generating capacity of 16,981 MW as of the end of , more than 10,200 miles of high-voltage transmission lines, and approximately 60,400 miles of distribution lines. Customer load growth is projected at a 4-5% compound annual rate through 2029, with earlier estimates for 2025 indicating around 2.4% growth from levels, fueled by large-load additions like data centers and industrial expansions.

Leadership and Governance

David Campbell has served as Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Evergy since January 2021, when he joined the company in that capacity, and was appointed Chairman in May 2024. Under his leadership, Evergy has prioritized grid modernization, customer service enhancements, and sustainability initiatives, including a 4% increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.6950 per share announced in November 2025, reflecting an annualized rate of $2.78 per share. Campbell's prior experience includes executive roles at Vistra Corp. and TXU Energy, where he focused on energy operations and regulatory compliance. The executive team supports Campbell in key areas, with W. Bryan Buckler serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since October 2024, overseeing treasury, accounting, investor relations, supply chain, and long-term planning functions. Charles (Chuck) Caisley acts as Executive Vice President of Utility Operations and Chief Customer Officer, appointed in August 2025, managing transmission, distribution, customer service, community strategy, and public affairs for Evergy's service territory. Heather Humphrey holds the position of Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary, leading legal, compliance, environmental, and regulatory efforts, including litigation and policy advocacy. Evergy's consists of 12 members as of April 2025, including the Chairman/CEO and 11 , emphasizing diversity and expertise in energy regulation, , and utilities. The board includes five female directors and seven male directors, with six self-identifying as racially or ethnically diverse, and members ranging in age from 45 to 72. B. Anthony Isaac serves as Lead , bringing experience from executive roles at and Wyndham. Other with notable energy regulation expertise include Mary L. Landrieu, former U.S. Senator and chair of the Senate Energy Committee; Paul M. Keglevic, former CEO of with audit background at ; Ann D. Murtlow, former CEO of Indianapolis Power & Light; and James Scarola, a nuclear oversight consultant. Recent appointments include Dean A. Newton, CEO of of , effective October 2024, and Jonathan D. Rolph, CEO of Thrive Restaurant Group, effective January 2025, enhancing the board's perspectives on operations and growth. These additions followed the departures of Mark Ruelle and Thomas D. Hyde in May 2024 as part of board refreshment efforts. Evergy maintains robust practices aligned with listing standards, including annual elections of all directors and majority voting requirements. The company adheres to a of , Guidelines, and Policy, promoting ethical conduct and accountability across operations. extends to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting, with annual disclosures under frameworks like the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and (SASB), overseen by the Nominating, , and Sustainability Committee. The board's five standing committees—Audit, Compensation and , , Nominating//Sustainability, and Operations—ensure comprehensive oversight, with independent chairs for each. In 2025, Evergy also appointed Matt Gummig as Chief Accounting Officer effective April 2025, bolstering financial compliance.

History

Predecessor Companies

Evergy traces its origins to two prominent utility companies: Westar Energy and Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L). Westar Energy was formed in 1992 through the merger of Gas and Electric Company (KG&E), established in 1909 to provide utility services in Wichita and surrounding areas, and Kansas Power and Light Company (KPL), incorporated in 1924 following earlier consolidations of local electric providers in eastern . The merger created Western Resources, Inc., which expanded its generation capacity to nearly 5 million kilowatts by 1993 and pursued diversification into non-utility sectors, including the formation of subsidiaries like Astra Resources for energy trading and a Power Technology Center for research in 1993. In the late 1990s, Western Resources attempted a major expansion via a proposed merger with KCP&L in 1998, which was terminated in 1999 amid regulatory and shareholder opposition, but the company continued growth through acquisitions and infrastructure investments. In 2002, following the sale of its assets—initially contributed to a with in 1997 that yielded a significant equity stake later divested for approximately $1.2 billion—the company rebranded as Westar Energy, Inc., to refocus on its core operations. By the mid-2000s, Westar served approximately 700,000 customers across central and northeastern . However, the company faced significant pre-merger challenges, including accounting irregularities from 1999 to 2004 related to executive misconduct and investments in non-core businesses like Protection One alarm services, leading to financial restatements for 2000 and 2001 that increased reported losses by hundreds of millions and prompted federal investigations. These issues culminated in the 2005 convictions of executives C. Wittig and Douglas T. Lake for company assets, which were overturned in 2007 due to insufficient evidence, leading to a retrial on some charges and resulting in a Kansas Corporation Commission-ordered reorganization to address excessive debt. KCP&L, meanwhile, originated in 1882 as the Kawsmouth Electric Light Company, founded to install Kansas City's first electric streetlights, and reincorporated as the Kansas City Electric Light Company in 1885 amid rapid early growth in urban electrification. The company achieved key milestones in the 20th century, including the completion of its iconic 34-story headquarters at 1330 Baltimore Avenue in 1931, which symbolized Kansas City's industrial progress and served as the utility's base for decades. In 1951, the first units of Hawthorn Station—a major coal-fired power plant on the Missouri River—became operational, nearly doubling KCP&L's generation capacity by 1955 and supporting post-World War II demand. Throughout the century, KCP&L grew through consolidations, acquiring entities such as Carroll County Electric Company in 1923 and Eastern Kansas Utilities in 1952, which expanded its service territory in western Missouri and eastern Kansas. By 2001, amid ongoing modernization, KCP&L reorganized under the newly formed holding company Great Plains Energy Incorporated, enhancing its operational structure while serving approximately 800,000 customers primarily in Missouri.

Merger and Formation

In May 2016, Energy, the parent company of Power & Light (KCP&L), announced an agreement to acquire Westar Energy in an all-stock transaction valued at $12.2 billion, aiming to create a larger Midwest utility serving approximately 1.6 million customers across and . The deal received shareholder approvals from both companies in September 2016 and antitrust clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice following the filing of Hart-Scott-Rodino notifications. The merger faced significant regulatory scrutiny, particularly from the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC), which rejected the initial proposal in April 2017 by a unanimous 3-0 vote, citing concerns over potential rate increases and lack of sufficient public benefits. In response, the companies amended their merger agreement in July 2017 to address these issues, including commitments to no rate increases for three years and enhanced customer protections. The KCC approved the revised transaction on May 24, 2018, after the companies agreed to concessions such as more than $100 million in customer bill credits—comprising $29 million upfront for customers and $75 million over five years for customers—along with ongoing sharing of merger efficiencies. The merger closed on June 4, 2018, forming Evergy, Inc. as the new with dual headquarters in (818 South Kansas Avenue), and (1200 Main Street), to reflect its service territories in both states. Evergy's common stock began trading on the under the ticker EVRG immediately following the closing and transferred to the Stock Market on December 28, 2022. In 2019, Evergy completed its operational , unifying the legacy Westar Energy and KCP&L brands under the Evergy name, with the transition announced on August 20 and fully implemented for customer-facing operations by October 7. The integration process involved significant costs for system unification and workforce adjustments but delivered projected annual synergies of approximately $200 million by 2025 through efficiencies in operations, procurement, and administrative functions.

Power Generation and Infrastructure

Generation Portfolio

Evergy's generation portfolio consists of a diverse array of owned and contracted assets, providing approximately 16,000 MW of capacity across more than 40 plants and facilities as of 2025. This mix supports reliable electricity delivery to its service territory in and , balancing baseload, dispatchable, and intermittent resources to meet varying demand while pursuing decarbonization goals. The portfolio's fuel diversity includes approximately 35% , 24% , 7% nuclear, 25% renewables (primarily with emerging solar), and 4% , reflecting a strategic emphasis on affordability, reliability, and . Coal assets, such as the Jeffrey Energy Center (with units totaling about 2,300 MW), provide stable baseload power but are subject to emissions controls and planned retirements. Natural gas facilities, including peaker and combined-cycle plants like the Hawthorn Generating Station (565 MW upgraded capacity), offer flexible dispatch to handle peak loads. Nuclear generation is anchored by the (1,200 MW), a that delivers carbon-free baseload energy. Renewables contribute through extensive resources, totaling around 4,500 MW from owned and purchased power agreements, including facilities like the Spearville Wind Farm (148.5 MW). Solar capacity remains modest at about 14 MW owned but is expanding rapidly. Petroleum units (around 4%) serve as backups for rare contingencies. Key operational facilities highlight the portfolio's scale and specialization. The Wolf Creek plant in Burlington, Kansas, operates at high efficiency, achieving a capacity factor of approximately 98% in recent years, underscoring its role in reliable, low-emission generation. The Jeffrey Energy Center near St. Marys, Kansas, a major coal complex, remains active in 2025 following recovery from a 2022 fire but faces future decommissioning, with Unit 3 targeted for retirement around 2030 as part of broader coal reduction efforts. Wind assets, such as the various farms in central Kansas contributing to the 4,500 MW total, exemplify Evergy's early leadership in utility-scale renewables, with the Spearville project marking one of the first commercial wind facilities in the state. These sites integrate with the broader grid for optimal output. Under the 2022 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), Evergy is phasing out generation, planning to retire over 1,900 MW of coal capacity by 2035 to reduce emissions while adding renewables for cleaner alternatives. This includes closures at sites like the Lawrence Energy Center, with retirement delayed from 2023 to 2028, and ongoing evaluations for others like Jeffrey. Concurrently, the plan and subsequent updates target significant solar expansion, with 600 MW scheduled for addition by 2027, including utility-scale projects in and expected online in 2027-2028. The 2025 IRP update continues renewable additions (e.g., 710 MW in 2027) alongside nearly 2 GW of high-efficiency generation through 2035 to support and reliability, while maintaining the net-zero carbon goal by 2045. These transitions maintain fuel diversity to mitigate risks from market volatility and regulatory changes. Reliability metrics underscore the portfolio's performance, with overall equivalent availability for and nuclear assets averaging 82% in recent assessments, bolstered by nuclear's near-100% capacity factors at Wolf Creek. Coal fleet capacity factors hover around 69%, reflecting operational flexibility amid declining utilization, while wind resources achieve typical factors of 35-40% due to weather variability. Outage rates remain low, with forced outage rates for nuclear below 2% annually and coal units benefiting from upgrades like at Jeffrey to minimize downtime. This diversity ensures high system reliability, with minimal unplanned outages supporting reserve margins in the Southwest Power Pool.

Transmission and Distribution

Evergy's transmission network consists of approximately 10,200 miles of high-voltage lines operating at voltages ranging from 69 kV to 345 kV, facilitating the bulk transfer of from generation sources to distribution substations and interconnecting with the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) regional grid. This infrastructure supports reliable power flow across and , integrating with broader SPP operations that manage over 20% of the regional load through Evergy's three zones. The distribution system comprises about 60,400 miles of lower-voltage lines that deliver directly to end-users, including residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Evergy has invested in technologies, such as the Gridstream Connect IoT platform, to enhance reliability by enabling real-time monitoring, automated outage detection, and efficient grid management across its substantially "smart" distribution network. To modernize its grid, Evergy committed $2.34 billion in investments in 2024, with ongoing annual expenditures supporting upgrades for (EV) charging and improved storm resilience. The company's five-year capital plan for 2025-2029 totals $17.5 billion overall, including significant allocations—such as over $900 million for transmission and distribution in its Missouri subsidiaries alone in 2025—to bolster capacity, flexibility, and resiliency amid rising demand. Evergy's system reliability is measured by key indices, including a System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) of 95.76 minutes without major events and 308.93 minutes with major events, and a of 1.03 and 1.60, respectively, for 2024. In response to 2024's events, which saw a 129% increase in major storms compared to 2023—including hurricane-strength winds, thunderstorms, and widespread outages—Evergy deployed crews for rapid restoration, earning national recognition from the for its emergency response efforts.

Financial Performance

Earnings and Revenue

In 2024, Evergy reported full-year of $5.85 billion, reflecting a 6.16% increase from the previous year driven by higher retail sales and regulatory recoveries. for the year reached $885 million, with GAAP (EPS) at $3.79 and adjusted EPS at $3.81, supported by operational efficiencies and favorable rate adjustments. These results underscored Evergy's focus on recovering investments in infrastructure while managing operating expenses at $4.38 billion. For the third quarter of 2025, Evergy's revenue was approximately $1.81 billion, remaining essentially flat year-over-year due to cooler weather impacting demand, despite increased rate implementations. GAAP EPS stood at $2.03, matching adjusted EPS and marking a slight improvement from $2.02 in the prior year's quarter, with operating income rising to $658.5 million, a nearly 5% increase attributable to higher sales volumes and cost controls. This performance aligned with the company's narrowed full-year 2025 adjusted EPS guidance of $3.92 to $4.02, factoring in weather variability. Evergy's revenue streams are predominantly derived from regulated electric . The company continues to expand its rate base through ongoing projects. Key drivers of Evergy's financial performance include steady customer growth at about 1% annually, which supports consistent retail , alongside patterns that influence quarterly volumes—cooler conditions in 2025 moderated some gains. Regulatory rate cases have also played a pivotal role, with approvals in and allowing recovery of $128 million in investments during 2025, enhancing profitability amid rising operational costs.

Stock and Dividends

Evergy's trades on the Global Select Market under the EVRG. As of November 2025, the company's stands at approximately $17.4 billion. Over the preceding 52 weeks, the stock price has ranged from a low of $59.67 to a high of $79.32. Evergy maintains a consistent , paying quarterly distributions to shareholders. In November 2025, the board approved a 4% increase in the quarterly to $0.6950 per share, payable on December 19, 2025, to shareholders of record as of November 21, 2025. This adjustment contributes to an annual of approximately 3.5%. The company's payout ratio is around 72%, reflecting a balance between returning capital to investors and retaining earnings for operations. Key investor milestones include the transfer of Evergy's stock listing from the to on December 28, 2022, following the company's 2018 merger formation. In its third-quarter 2025 earnings release, Evergy narrowed its full-year adjusted guidance to $3.92–$4.02. Institutional investors hold about 88% of Evergy's outstanding shares, underscoring strong support from major funds. Leading holders include with 13% ownership and with a significant stake as the second-largest shareholder.

Sustainability and

Renewable Energy Initiatives

Evergy's renewable energy portfolio as of the end of 2024 comprises approximately 4,547 megawatts (MW) of capacity, primarily from (4,525 MW), with smaller contributions from solar (14 MW), / (8 MW), and no hydroelectric capacity, representing about 27% of its total generation capacity. Including , clean energy sources account for nearly half of the supplied to customers. This mix supports Evergy's broader commitment to , with ongoing efforts to integrate renewables into its generation strategy amid growing demand. Key renewable projects include recent regulatory approvals for solar expansions in Kansas and Missouri. In July 2025, the Kansas Corporation Commission approved the construction of the Kansas Sky Solar facility (159 MW) in , fully owned by Evergy Kansas Central, Inc., alongside the Sunflower Sky Solar Project (75 MW) in Wilson County, adding approximately 234 MW of solar capacity with operations expected to begin in 2027. The 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) outlines further additions, targeting up to 710 MW of new solar by 2028 and 1,150 MW of capacity by 2030, as part of a balanced approach to meet projected demand growth while enhancing reliability. Wind initiatives focus on new developments rather than widespread repowering, building on Evergy's existing 4,400 MW of owned and contracted resources. These projects align with the company's long-term goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions from scope 1 and 2 sources by 2045, assuming supportive policies and technologies. In addition to solar and wind, Evergy is advancing battery storage to complement renewables and improve grid stability. The 2025 IRP includes plans for up to 440 MW of battery storage by 2029, supporting integration of intermittent resources. While large-scale partnerships for 500 MW by 2026 were not detailed in recent filings, Evergy operates a residential battery storage pilot program, installing and maintaining systems at customer homes through 2026 to test scalability and benefits. Regulatory approvals in 2025 also enabled $1 billion in investments for combined gas and solar generation, underscoring a hybrid strategy that incorporates renewables alongside dispatchable resources to achieve carbon reduction targets.

Environmental and Community Programs

Evergy has committed to significant reductions in as part of its broader environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework, aiming for a 70% reduction in owned generation CO₂ emissions from 2005 levels by 2030 and net-zero CO₂e emissions for Scope 1 and 2 by 2045, contingent on supportive policies and technologies. By the end of 2024, the company achieved a 57% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to 2005 baselines, building on prior reductions in SO₂ (98% by 2023) and (90% by 2023). According to the 2025 EEI Sustainability Metrics Report, Scope 1 GHG emissions (CO₂e) decreased to 20,958,294 metric tons in 2024 from 27,594,888 metric tons in 2022, reflecting a reduction of over 6.6 million metric tons, while Scope 2 emissions (market-based) fell to 2,943 metric tons in 2024 from 3,350 in 2022. In its 2024 Report, Evergy detailed further progress toward its goals. However, a September 2025 report criticized the company for a multi-year backslide in renewable investments and emissions reductions, assigning it an F grade. The company supports energy efficiency through rebate programs under Missouri's Multifamily Energy Efficiency Implementation Act (MEEIA) and Kansas's energy efficiency initiatives, providing incentives for upgrades like heating, cooling, and insulation measures. In 2023, these efforts assisted over 68,000 customers with $42 million in payment support for efficiency improvements, contributing to cumulative savings exceeding 1.18 billion kWh for more than 400,000 Missouri customers since 2013. Evergy's Clean Charge Network has expanded to over 1,000 public EV charging stations in the Kansas City region, with additional growth targeted at underserved Kansas communities to promote adoption. The company also offers rebates up to $500 for residential Level 2 charger installations and incentives for business fleets. Evergy engages in community initiatives through annual philanthropy and educational partnerships, donating approximately $7 million in 2023 to support vulnerable populations, workforce development, and environmental projects. This includes $3 million for low-income assistance and $2.7 million for programs. In education, Evergy partners with organizations like the Hispanic Education & Development Foundation to fund STEM scholarships and collaborates on school-based projects, such as solar installations at Spring Hill USD 230 and for hands-on student learning in . At the 2025 , Evergy hosted a booth to share energy efficiency tips with thousands of attendees, fostering public awareness of sustainable practices. Evergy maintains compliance with federal and state environmental regulations, including EPA Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) rules at its facilities and annual filings for Missouri's Standard (RES) and Kansas's clean energy requirements. In 2024, the company submitted RES compliance plans demonstrating adherence to renewable portfolio targets, with ongoing monitoring to meet evolving standards.

Controversies and Recognition

Evergy's predecessor, Westar Energy, faced significant accounting challenges in the early 2000s, leading to restatements of its financial statements for the years 2000 and 2001, as well as the first and second quarters of 2002. These restatements, announced in April 2003, primarily stemmed from revised accounting treatments for investments in subsidiaries like Protection One and QuVIS, including goodwill impairment charges and mark-to-market adjustments on putable common stock, which increased reported net losses from $639.6 million to $793.4 million for the first half of 2002 alone. A special committee investigation concluded in 2003 that no evidence of accounting fraud existed, though the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) conducted an inquiry into the matter alongside federal grand jury subpoenas related to executive conduct. The period from 1999 to 2004 encompassed ongoing regulatory scrutiny, including probes by the SEC and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), amid broader utility sector issues, but no formal fraud charges against the company were upheld. The formation of Evergy through the 2018 merger of Westar Energy and Great Plains Energy was marked by intense regulatory hurdles. In April 2017, the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) unanimously rejected the proposed $12.2 billion merger, determining it failed to demonstrate sufficient benefits and posed excessive risks to ratepayers without adequate safeguards. Following renegotiations, the KCC approved the merger in May 2018, imposing conditions such as a 3% cap on base rates starting from the 2018 rate cases and commitments to annual merger-related savings of at least $30 million to be passed through to customers. The Missouri Public Service Commission (MPSC) also approved the transaction in 2018 with similar rate protections. In recent years, Evergy has navigated rate cases and infrastructure approvals under state oversight. In 2024, Evergy reached a unanimous settlement in its Missouri West rate case with the MPSC, allowing a 7% increase—approximately $104 million in additional revenue—to recover investments in generation capacity, grid modernization, and two new plants, effective for an average residential customer increase of about $8 monthly. As of November 2025, no major regulatory disputes have emerged for Evergy, though the company continues to seek approvals for expansions. In July 2025, the KCC approved settlements enabling Evergy to recover over $1.8 billion in costs for three new energy facilities, including two plants and a solar project (unanimous for the solar facility; non-unanimous for the gas plants). A related unanimous settlement in the Kansas Central rate case, approved by the KCC on September 25, 2025, authorizes a 9.6% increase (about $8.50 monthly for residential customers using 900 kWh) to support grid reliability. In January 2025, Evergy faced two notable lawsuits. A suit filed in , , on January 30, 2025, by residents including William and Sue Steward, alleges that Evergy and other companies improperly disposed of fly ash—a hazardous —from the Montrose , leading to contamination of , groundwater, and properties with toxic chemicals like and mercury, posing risks. The case, seeking damages for property devaluation and medical monitoring, was transferred to Polk County in May 2025; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's July 2025 tests confirmed elevated contaminants in some areas but found levels below immediate thresholds in others. Separately, on January 23, 2025, Birchtech Corp. (f/k/a Midwest Energy Emissions Corp.) filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of against Evergy and subsidiaries, claiming willful violation of patents for mercury emissions control technology used at plants; the suit seeks injunctions and damages, with proceedings ongoing as of November 2025. Evergy's operations are subject to oversight by key regulatory bodies, including the KCC for its Kansas subsidiaries, the MPSC for Missouri operations, and FERC for interstate transmission and wholesale power sales. These entities ensure compliance with rate-setting standards, merger conditions, and reliability mandates, shaping the company's strategic and financial decisions.

Awards and Achievements

Evergy has earned recognition for its commitment to employee well-being, operational reliability, and engineering innovation, reflecting strong workplace satisfaction among its approximately 4,700 employees and excellence in utility services. In 2019, shortly after its formation, Evergy was selected as one of the Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America by Springbuk, honoring its comprehensive wellness programs that promote physical and for employees. This accolade highlighted Evergy's people-first , contributing to high retention and productivity in a workforce focused on safe and reliable energy delivery. The company continued to build on this foundation with recent honors emphasizing innovation and sustainability. In September 2025, the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering at named Evergy its Company of the Year, praising its partnerships in , scholarships, and recruitment of top talent to advance grid modernization and renewable integration. This recognition underscores Evergy's role in fostering through skilled teams. In sustainability and reliability, Evergy received two Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Emergency Response Awards in January 2025 for its rapid restoration efforts following severe 2024 storms, including weekend outages affecting 140,000 customers. These awards affirm Evergy's proactive measures in storm preparedness and recovery, aligning with broader goals by minimizing environmental disruptions during events. Additionally, in 2023, Evergy won the Southeast Energy Efficiency Council (SECC) Best Practice Award for its innovative online Offer Center, which enhanced in energy efficiency programs, demonstrating leadership in sustainable practices. Such recognitions not only validate Evergy's high employee satisfaction—evidenced by low turnover and robust wellness initiatives—but also highlight its impact on and , with criteria often evaluating metrics like response times, innovation adoption, and employee feedback surveys.

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