International Business News - Westar http://www.ibtimes.com All articles are copyrighted by IBTimes.com 400 100 http://www.ibtimes.com/ http://www.ibtimes.com/images/top_logo_ibt2_3.gif Westar Energy Inc. said Friday its third-quarter profit slipped nearly 4 percent due mainly to a decline in sales because of cooler weather, but results still beat analyst estimates. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081107/westar-energy-3q-profit-slips-on-sales-decline.htm Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:42:52 EST The commission that regulates utilities in Kansas is going ahead with a hearing Wednesday on Westar Energy Inc.'s electric rates, even though it and other parties have proposed a $130 million settlement. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081028/kan-regulators-going-ahead-with-westar-hearing.htm Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:42:30 EDT Westar Energy has announced a settlement agreement in a rate case that would provide the Kansas utility with a $130 million annual increase in rates. Westar on Friday said the deal works out to an 11 percent rate hike, compared with its original $178 million request for a 15 percent increase. The agreement is subject to the approval of the Kansas Corporation Commission. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081024/westar-energy-announces-130m-rate-case-settlement.htm Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:58:45 EDT Two of Westar Energy Inc.'s adversaries agree the electric company needs to raise its rates significantly, but they are proposing smaller increases than the utility wants. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080930/westar-faces-rival-rate-proposals-from-adversaries.htm Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:51:46 EDT Residents say that a rate increase request by Westar Energy Inc. would be a burden on poor customers who already are struggling to pay their bills. The Kansas Corporation Commission heard concerns Wednesday night from around 100 people about Westar's request for $178 million in electricity rate increases. The utility says the increase is needed to cover investments in power plants and the cost of repairs to its infrastructure after the December 2007 ice storm. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080904/kansas-panel-hears-residents-on-westar-rates.htm Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:32:09 EDT Electric utility Westar Energy Inc. reaffirmed its 2008 earnings guidance Friday to a range that includes Wall Street's expectation. For fiscal 2008, Westar expects to earn $1.50 to $1.65 per share "with a bias toward the low end of the range." The guidance excludes a one-time tax benefit from the first quarter. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080808/westar-energy-reaffirms-2008-earnings-guidance.htm Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:46:17 EDT Westar Energy Inc. said Friday its second-quarter profit dropped 83 percent due primarily to maintenance outages at lower-cost power plants. For the period ended June 30, the electric utility reported $5.6 million in earnings available for common stockholders, or 6 cents per share, compared with $32.5 million, or 36 cents per share, in the year-ago period. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080808/westar-energy-2q-earnings-sink-83-percent.htm Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:45:00 EDT Kansas regulators have scheduled hearings on a proposal from Westar Energy Inc. for a 15 percent increase in electric rates. The Kansas Corporation Commission has scheduled hearings for Sept. 2-4 in Salina, Topeka and Wichita to take public testimony. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080716/kansas-hearings-set-on-westar-rate-proposal.htm Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:16:11 EDT Westar Energy, Inc. will break ground Tuesday on a new wind farm project in Barber County, south of Wichita. The Flat Ridge Wind Farm is a 100-megawatt project being developed by BP Alternative Energy North. Westar will own half of the wind farm and purchase energy from the remaining half. The project is expected to be operational by the end of 2008. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080623/westar-bp-affiliate-to-build-kan-wind-farm.htm Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:12:57 EDT Electric utility Westar Energy Inc. said Friday it priced an offering of 6 million shares of its common stock at $24.28 per share. If all shares, including the 900,000 additional shares being offered to underwriters to cover any overallotments, are bought, gross proceeds will be about $167.5 million. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080530/westar-energy-prices-share-offering-at-24-28.htm Fri, 30 May 2008 09:00:00 EDT The largest electric company in Kansas wants to charge residents an additional $10 a month to cover the costs of new power plants and wind farms and to help it recover from winter storms. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080528/westar-seeks-15-percent-hike-in-electric-rates.htm Wed, 28 May 2008 18:03:07 EDT Westar Energy Inc. said Wednesday it plans to sell 6 million shares in a public offering, subject to market conditions. The electric utility plans to grant the underwriters an overallotment option to buy up to 900,000 additional shares. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080528/westar-energy-to-sell-6m-shares-in-public-offering.htm Wed, 28 May 2008 16:57:22 EDT Electric utility Westar Energy Inc. asked Kansas regulators Wednesday for permission to raise rates nearly 15 percent, largely to cover capital expenditures and repairs from a December ice storm. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080528/kansas-utility-westar-energy-seeks-rate-hike.htm Wed, 28 May 2008 09:13:12 EDT The state's chief representative for utility customers is challenging how Westar Energy Inc. plans to increase its rates to cover $871 million in pollution control costs. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080514/consumer-advocate-challenges-westar-rate-hike.htm Wed, 14 May 2008 16:23:11 EDT Electric utility Westar Energy Inc. on Friday affirmed its previously disclosed per-share earnings guidance for 2008 in a range that includes analysts' average estimate. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080509/westar-energy-reaffirms-08-outlook-in-range-of-estimates.htm Fri, 09 May 2008 11:34:55 EDT