Great Plains Energy Announces $400 Million Public Offering of Equity Units and Common Stock

Great Plains Energy Incorporated (NYSE: GXP) ("Great Plains Energy” or the "Company”) announced today that it plans to commence a public offering of approximately $400 million of securities consisting of 5,000,000 equity units with an initial stated amount of $50 per unit, or $250 million in the aggregate, and 10 million shares, or approximately $150 million, of common stock based on the last reported sale price of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE on May 8, 2009. Additionally, Great Plains Energy will grant the underwriters an option to purchase up to 750,000 additional equity units and up to 1,500,000 shares of additional common stock to cover over-allotments, if any.

Neither the common share offering nor the equity units offering will be contingent on the other.

The equity units will initially consist of a forward purchase contract and a beneficial ownership interest in $1,000 principal amount of the Company’s subordinated notes due 2042. Under the purchase contract, holders will be required to purchase a variable number of shares of the Company’s common stock no later than June 15, 2012.

Great Plains Energy intends to use the net proceeds from both of these offerings to repay all or a portion of borrowings under its revolving credit facility and to make contributions of capital to Kansas City Power & Light Company ("KCP&L”) and KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations Company ("GMO”) for general corporate purposes, including the repayment of all or a portion of KCP&L’s outstanding commercial paper, the repayment of all or a portion of borrowings under GMO’s revolving credit facilities and the funding of construction expenditures.

Goldman, Sachs & Co. and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. are acting as the joint book-running managers for both offerings.

Each offering will be made under Great Plains Energy’s shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 11, 2009, and only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any common shares, any equity units or any other securities, nor will there be any sale of common shares, equity units or any other securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

Copies of such documents relating to the shares of common stock and the equity units may be obtained from Goldman, Sachs & Co., Broad Street, 20th Floor, New York, New York 10004, Attn: Prospectus Department, by calling toll-free at 866-471-2526, by fax at 212-902-9316 or by emailing prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com, and from J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., 4 Chase Metrotech Center, CS Level, Brooklyn, New York 11245, Attn: Chase Distribution and Support Service, Northeast Statement Processing, telephone: 718-242-8002, fax 718-242-8003.

About Great Plains Energy

Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., Great Plains Energy Incorporated (NYSE: GXP) is the holding company of Kansas City Power & Light Company ("KCP&L”) and KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations ("GMO”), two of the leading regulated providers of electricity in the Midwest. Kansas City Power & Light Company and KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations use KCP&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, the outcome of regulatory proceedings, cost estimates of the Comprehensive Energy Plan and other matters affecting future operations. In connection with the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the Company 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, including but not limited to possible further deterioration in economic conditions and the timing and extent of any economic recovery; prices and availability of electricity in regional and national wholesale markets; market perception of the energy industry, Great Plains Energy, KCP&L and GMO; changes in business strategy, operations or development plans; 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 KCP&L and GMO 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 nuclear decommissioning trust and pension plan assets and costs; 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; increased competition including, but not limited to, retail choice in the electric utility industry and the entry of new competitors; 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; ability to achieve generation planning goals and the occurrence and duration of planned and unplanned generation outages; delays in the anticipated in-service dates and cost increases of additional generating capacity and environmental projects; nuclear operations; workforce risks, including, but not limited to, retirement compensation and benefits costs; the ability to successfully integrate KCP&L and GMO operations and the timing and amount of resulting synergy savings; and other risks and uncertainties. Other risk factors are detailed from time to time in Great Plains Energy’s and KCP&L’s most recent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or annual reports on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This list of factors is not all-inclusive because it is not possible to predict all factors.