KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 6, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Aquila, Inc. (NYSE:ILA) today posted to its website materials containing additional information on the company's proposed merger with a subsidiary of Great Plains Energy Incorporated and the related asset sales to Black Hills Corporation. In addition, the company will conduct a market conference call and webcast to discuss this information on Wednesday, March 7 at 8:30 a.m. Central Standard Time. Participants will be Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Richard C. Green and Chief Accounting Officer, Beth Armstrong.
"The merger proxy statement, which will contain robust information about the sale process, will not be ready for several weeks. In order to be responsive to our shareholders' questions and concerns, however, we wanted to share more information about the sale process with them at this time," said Rick Green.
Aquila completed the first round of meetings with its large shareholders after announcing the Great Plains merger, and Aquila expects to hold further meetings with its large shareholders after they have an opportunity to review the additional information being disclosed by Aquila.
The additional information and webcast presentation will be available in the Investor Relations section on the company's website. To access the live webcast, go to www.aquila.com and click "Investor Information." Allow at least five minutes to register and access the presentation. Replays will be available beginning approximately two hours after the webcast. Audio replay of the webcast will be available by telephone through March 14 at 800-405-2236 in the United States, and at 303-590-3000 for international callers. Callers need to enter the access code 11084455 and then the pound key (#) when prompted.
Based in Kansas City, Mo., Aquila owns electric power generation and operates electric and natural gas transmission and distribution networks serving approximately 1 million customers in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. More information is available at www.aquila.com .
The Aquila, Inc. logo is available at http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=1753
Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with the merger of Aquila with a subsidiary of Great Plains, Great Plains intends to file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4, containing a joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials. The final joint proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to the stockholders of Great Plains and Aquila. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF GREAT PLAINS AND AQUILA ARE URGED TO READ THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND THE OTHER RELEVANT MATERIALS WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT GREAT PLAINS, AQUILA AND THE MERGER. The registration statement and joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials (when they become available), and any other documents filed by Great Plains or Aquila with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), may be obtained free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the documents (when they are available) filed with the SEC by Great Plains by directing a request to Great Plains at: Great Plains Energy, 1201 Walnut, Kansas City, MO, 64106, Attn: Investor Relations. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Aquila by contacting us at: Aquila, 20 West Ninth Street, Kansas City, Mo, 64105, Attn: Investor Relations.
Participants in Proxy Solicitation
Great Plains, Aquila and their respective executive officers and directors may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies relating to the proposed transaction. Information about the executive officers and directors of Great Plains and their ownership of Great Plains common stock is set forth in Great Plains' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, which was filed with the SEC on February 27, 2007, and the proxy statement for Great Plains' 2006 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 20, 2006. Information regarding our directors and executive officers and their ownership of Aquila common stock is set forth in Aquila's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, which was filed with the SEC on March 1, 2007, and the proxy statement for Aquila's 2006 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 24, 2006. Investors and security holders may obtain more detailed information regarding the direct and indirect interests of Great Plains, Aquila and their respective executive officers and directors in the proposed transaction by reading the joint proxy statement/prospectus regarding the proposed transaction when it becomes available.