West Gardner Generating Station Initiates Commercial Operation

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Commercial operation was scheduled for April 1 at the West Gardner Generating Station. Construction started on the plant in the fourth quarter of 2002. The estimated $35-million simple-cycle plant is located in Johnson County, Edgerton, Kansas. When completed the plant will consist of four 85-megawatt (MW) General Electric PG7121EA combustion turbines, with a total capacity of 340 MW.

The first combustion turbine is scheduled to come online April 1, 2003, followed by the second on April 15, the third on May 1, and the fourth by May 15. Final completion is expected in June.

Sega Incorporated was chosen for technical and engineering services, which include planning, design and field services. Based in Stilwell, Kansas, Sega also provided a full range of energy-related consulting services to steam plants and electric utility generating stations, also control and instrumentation capabilities.

Industrial Construction Company, located in Brecksville, Ohio, is providing procurement and construction services. The company has been in business for over sixty-years providing construction services, primarily as a general contractor.

A sister plant, Osawatomie Generating Station under development in Miami County, Paola, Kansas will start up one GE combustion turbine during the same time frame.

Kansas City Power & Light Company (NYSE: KLT) (Kansas City, Missouri), a leading provider of electricity in the Midwest, is the owner of the West Gardner and Osawatomie Generating Stations, which will be operated as unmanned sites. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Great Plains Energy Incorporated (NYSE: GXP) (Kansas City, Missouri). Great Plains Energy is a medium-sized utility involved in the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity to customers in western Missouri and eastern Kansas.