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 Great Plains Energy Incorporated GXP ("Great Plains Energy" or 
 the "Company") announced today that on July 13, 2017 a notice of 
 redemption (the "Notice of Redemption") will be sent to the holders of 
 its Depositary Shares (the "Depositary Shares"), each representing 1/20th 
 interest in a share of the Company's 7.00% Series B Mandatory 
 Convertible Preferred Stock (the "Mandatory Convertible Preferred 
 Stock") providing for the redemption of all of the Company's outstanding 
 Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock and the related Depositary Shares. 
 The redemption price shall be the Acquisition Termination Make-whole 
 Amount, as set forth in the Notice of Redemption.
 
 
 The redemption date will be August 17, 2017. Payment of the Acquisition 
 Termination Make-whole Amount for each share of Mandatory Convertible 
 Preferred Stock will be made only upon presentation and surrender of the 
 Depositary Shares to Computershare Trust Company, N.A., the Company's 
 redemption agent, during its normal business hours at the address 
 specified in the Notice of Redemption.
 
 
 Questions relating to the redemption should be directed to Computershare 
 Trust Company, N.A., at 1-855-396-2084.
 
 
 About Great Plains Energy:
 
 
 Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., Great Plains Energy Incorporated 
 GXP is the holding company of Kansas City Power &amp; Light Company 
 and KCP&amp;L Greater Missouri Operations Company, two of the leading 
 regulated providers of electricity in the Midwest. Kansas City Power &amp; 
 Light Company and KCP&amp;L Greater Missouri Operations Company use KCP&amp;L as 
 a brand name.
 
 
 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 relating to the anticipated 
 merger transaction of Great Plains Energy and Westar Energy, Inc. 
 (Westar Energy), including those that relate to the expected financial 
 and operational benefits of the merger to the companies and their 
 shareholders (including cost savings, operational efficiencies and the 
 impact of the anticipated merger on earnings per share), the expected 
 timing of closing, the outcome of regulatory proceedings, cost estimates 
 of capital projects, redemption of Great Plains Energy debt and 
 convertible preferred stock, dividend growth, share repurchases, balance 
 sheet and credit ratings, rebates to customers, employee issues 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 regional, national and international markets and 
 their effects on sales, prices and costs; prices and availability of 
 electricity in regional and national wholesale markets; market 
 perception of the energy industry, Great Plains Energy and Westar 
 Energy; changes in business strategy, operations or development plans; 
 the outcome of contract negotiations for goods and services; 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 that the companies 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 credit spreads and in availability and cost of 
 capital and the effects on derivatives and hedges, nuclear 
 decommissioning trust and pension plan assets and costs; impairments of 
 long-lived assets or goodwill; 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, including, but not limited to, cyber terrorism; ability 
 to carry out marketing and sales plans; weather conditions including, 
 but not limited to, weather-related damage and their effects on sales, 
 prices and costs; cost, availability, quality and deliverability of 
 fuel; the inherent uncertainties in estimating the effects of weather, 
 economic conditions and other factors on customer consumption and 
 financial results; ability to achieve generation goals and the 
 occurrence and duration of planned and unplanned generation outages; 
 delays in the anticipated in-service dates and cost increases of 
 generation, transmission, distribution or other projects; Great Plains 
 Energy's and Westar Energy's ability to successfully manage and 
 integrate their respective transmission joint ventures; the inherent 
 risks associated with the ownership and operation of a nuclear facility 
 including, but not limited to, environmental, health, safety, regulatory 
 and financial risks; workforce risks, including, but not limited to, 
 increased costs of retirement, health care and other benefits; the 
 ability of Great Plains Energy and Westar Energy to obtain the 
 regulatory and shareholder approvals necessary to complete the 
 anticipated merger or the imposition of adverse conditions or costs in 
 connection with obtaining regulatory approvals; the risk that a 
 condition to the closing of the anticipated merger may not be satisfied 
 or that the anticipated merger may fail to close; the outcome of any 
 legal proceedings, regulatory proceedings or enforcement matters that 
 may be instituted relating to the anticipated merger; the costs incurred 
 to consummate the anticipated merger; the possibility that the expected 
 value creation from the anticipated merger will not be realized, or will 
 not be realized within the expected time period; difficulties related to 
 the integration of the two companies, the credit ratings of the combined 
 company following the anticipated merger; disruption from the 
 anticipated merger making it more difficult to maintain relationships 
 with customers, employees, regulators or suppliers; the diversion of 
 management time and attention on the anticipated merger; and other risks 
 and uncertainties.
 
 
 This list of factors is not all-inclusive because it is not possible to 
 predict all factors. Additional risks and uncertainties will be 
 discussed in the joint proxy statement/prospectus and other materials 
 that Great Plains Energy, Westar Energy and Monarch Energy Holding, Inc. 
 (Monarch Energy) will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
 (SEC) in connection with the anticipated merger. Other risk factors are 
 detailed from time to time in quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and annual 
 reports on Form 10-K filed by Great Plains Energy and Westar Energy with 
 the SEC. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of 
 the particular statement. Monarch Energy, Great Plains Energy and Westar 
 Energy undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any 
 forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, 
 future events or otherwise.
 
 
 
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