Evergy 10-K 2019-12-31

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES

EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019

or

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES

EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

(a Missouri corporation)

1200 Main Street

Kansas City, Missouri 64105

(816) 556-2200

(formerly Westar Energy, Inc.)

(a Kansas corporation)

818 South Kansas Avenue

Topeka, Kansas 66612

(785) 575-6300

(formerly Kansas City Power & Light Company)

(a Missouri corporation)

1200 Main Street

Kansas City, Missouri 64105

(816) 556-2200

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc. Common Stock $0.01 par value and Evergy Metro, Inc. Common Stock without par value.

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of Evergy, Inc. (based on the closing price of its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on June 30, 2019) was approximately $14,138,041,261. All of the common equity of Evergy Kansas Central, Inc. and Evergy Metro, Inc. is held by Evergy, Inc.

On February 24, 2020, Evergy, Inc. had 226,659,013 shares of common stock outstanding.

On February 24, 2020, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc. and Evergy Metro, Inc. each had one share of common stock outstanding and held by Evergy, Inc.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Portions of the 2020 annual meeting proxy statement of Evergy, Inc. to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission are incorporated by reference in Part III of this report.

This combined annual report on Form 10-K is provided by the following registrants: Evergy, Inc. (Evergy), Evergy Kansas Central, Inc. (Evergy Kansas Central) and Evergy Metro, Inc. (Evergy Metro) (collectively, the Evergy Companies). Information relating to any individual registrant is filed by such registrant solely on its own behalf. Each registrant makes no representation as to information relating exclusively to the other registrants.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS REGARDING CERTAIN FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Statements made in this report 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 our strategic plan, including, without limitation, earnings per share and dividend growth targets, operating and maintenance expense savings goals and future capital allocation plans; the outcome of regulatory and legal proceedings; and other matters relating to expected financial performance or affecting future operations. Forward-looking statements are often accompanied by forward-looking words such as "anticipates," "believes," "expects," "estimates," "forecasts," "should," "seeks," "intends," "proposed," "projects," "planned," "outlook," "remain confident," "goal," "will" or other words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information.

In connection with the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the Evergy Companies are providing a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking information. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to: economic and weather conditions and any impact on sales, prices and costs; changes in business strategy or operations; the impact of federal, state and local political, legislative, judicial and regulatory actions or developments, including deregulation, re-regulation and restructuring of the electric utility industry; decisions of regulators regarding, among other things, customer rates and the prudency of operational decisions such as capital expenditures and asset retirements; changes in applicable laws, regulations, rules, principles or practices, or the interpretations thereof, governing tax, accounting and environmental matters, including air and water quality and waste management and disposal; the impact of climate change, including increased frequency and severity of significant weather events and reduced demand for coal-based energy; prices and availability of electricity in wholesale markets; market perception of the energy industry and the Evergy Companies; changes in the energy trading markets in which the Evergy Companies participate, including retroactive repricing of transactions by regional transmission organizations (RTO) and independent system operators; financial market conditions and performance, including 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; the transition to a replacement for the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) benchmark interest rate; effectiveness of risk management policies and procedures and the ability of counterparties to satisfy their contractual commitments; impact of terrorist acts, including cyber terrorism; ability to carry out marketing and sales plans; cost, availability, quality and timely provision of equipment, supplies, labor and fuel; ability to achieve generation goals and the occurrence and duration of planned and unplanned generation outages; delays and cost increases of generation, transmission, distribution or other projects; the Evergy Companies' ability to manage their transmission and distribution development plans and transmission joint ventures; the inherent risks associated with the ownership and operation of a nuclear facility, including environmental, health, safety, regulatory and financial risks; workforce risks, including those related to increased costs of, or changes in, retirement, health care and other benefits; disruption, costs and uncertainties caused by or related to the actions of individuals or entities, such as activist shareholders or special interest groups, that seek to influence our strategic plan, financial results or operations; the possibility that the expected value creation from the merger of Great Plains Energy Incorporated (Great Plains Energy) and Evergy Kansas Central that resulted in the creation of Evergy will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period; difficulties related to the integration, including the diversion of management time; difficulties in maintaining relationships with customers, employees, regulators or suppliers; disruption related to the rebranding of the Evergy Companies, including the impact of the rebranding on receipt of customer payments; and other risks and uncertainties.

This list of factors is not all-inclusive because it is not possible to predict all factors. Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors included in this report should be carefully read for further understanding of potential risks for the Evergy Companies. Other sections of this report and other periodic reports filed by the Evergy Companies with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) should also be read for more information regarding risk factors. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. The Evergy Companies undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Available Information

The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at sec.gov. Additionally, information about the Evergy Companies, including their combined annual reports on Form 10-K, combined quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed with the SEC, is also available through the Evergy Companies' website, www.evergy.com. Such reports are accessible at no charge and are made available as soon as reasonably practical after such material is filed with or furnished to the SEC.

Investors should note that the Evergy Companies announce material financial information in SEC filings, press releases and public conference calls. In accordance with SEC guidelines, the Evergy Companies also use the Investor Relations tab on their website, www.evergy.com, to communicate with investors. It is possible that the financial and other information posted there could be deemed to be material information. The information on Evergy's website is not part of this document.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

The following is a glossary of frequently used abbreviations or acronyms that are found throughout this report.

PART I

General

Evergy, Inc., Evergy Kansas Central, Inc. and Evergy Metro, Inc. are separate registrants filing this combined annual report on Form 10-K. The terms "Evergy," "Evergy Kansas Central," "Evergy Metro" and "Evergy Companies" are used throughout this report. "Evergy" refers to Evergy, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated. "Evergy Kansas Central" refers to Evergy Kansas Central, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated. "Evergy Metro" refers to Evergy Metro, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated. "Evergy Companies" refers to Evergy, Evergy Kansas Central, and Evergy Metro, collectively, which are individual registrants within the Evergy consolidated group.

Information in other Items of this report as to which reference is made in this Item 1 is hereby incorporated by reference in this Item 1. The use of terms such as "see" or "refer to" shall be deemed to incorporate into this Item 1 the information to which such reference is made.

EVERGY, INC.

Evergy is a public utility holding company incorporated in 2017 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Evergy operates primarily through the following wholly-owned direct subsidiaries listed below. In September 2019, these wholly-owned direct subsidiaries were rebranded and renamed under the Evergy brand name.

Evergy Kansas Central also owns a 50% interest in Prairie Wind Transmission, LLC (Prairie Wind), which is a joint venture between Evergy Kansas Central and subsidiaries of AEP and Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company. Prairie Wind owns a 108-mile, 345 kV double-circuit transmission line that provides transmission service in the Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (SPP). Evergy Kansas Central accounts for its investment in Prairie Wind under the equity method.

Since the rebranding in September 2019, Evergy Kansas Central, Evergy Kansas South, Evergy Metro, and Evergy Missouri West have been conducting business in their respective service territories using the name Evergy. The Evergy Companies assess financial performance and allocate resources on a consolidated basis (i.e., operates in one segment). Evergy serves approximately 1,604,300 customers located in Kansas and Missouri. Customers include approximately 1,407,700 residences, 189,600 commercial firms and 7,000 industrials, municipalities and other electric utilities. Evergy is significantly impacted by seasonality with approximately one-third of its retail revenues recorded in the third quarter.

The table below summarizes the percentage of Evergy's revenues by customer classification.

The table below summarizes the percentage of Evergy's retail electricity sales by customer class.

Merger of Great Plains Energy and Evergy Kansas Central

Evergy was incorporated in 2017 as Monarch Energy Holding, Inc. (Monarch Energy), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Great Plains Energy Incorporated (Great Plains Energy). Prior to the closing of the merger transactions, Monarch Energy changed its name to Evergy and did not conduct any business activities other than those required for its formation and matters contemplated by the Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 9, 2017, by and among Great Plains Energy, Evergy Kansas Central, Monarch Energy and King Energy, Inc. (King Energy), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Monarch Energy (Amended Merger Agreement).

On June 4, 2018, Evergy completed the mergers contemplated by the Amended Merger Agreement. As a result of the mergers, Great Plains Energy merged into Evergy, with Evergy surviving the merger and King Energy merged into Evergy Kansas Central, with Evergy Kansas Central surviving the merger. Following the completion of these mergers, Evergy Kansas Central and the direct subsidiaries of Great Plains Energy, including Evergy Metro and Evergy Missouri West, became wholly-owned subsidiaries of Evergy.

The merger was structured as a merger of equals in a tax-free exchange of shares that involved no premium paid or received with respect to either Great Plains Energy or Evergy Kansas Central. As a result of the closing of the merger transaction, each outstanding share of Great Plains Energy common stock was converted into 0.5981 shares of Evergy common stock and each outstanding share of Evergy Kansas Central common stock was converted into 1 share of Evergy common stock.

Evergy Kansas Central was determined to be the accounting acquirer in the merger and thus, the predecessor of Evergy. Evergy had separate operations for the period beginning with the quarter ended June 30, 2018, and references to amounts for periods after the closing of the merger relate to Evergy. The results of Great Plains Energy's direct subsidiaries have been included in Evergy's results of operations from June 4, 2018, the date of the closing of the merger, and thereafter.

See Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements for more information regarding the merger.

Regulation

Evergy Kansas Central's and Evergy Metro's Kansas operations are regulated by the State Corporation Commission of the State of Kansas (KCC) and Evergy Metro's Missouri operations and Evergy Missouri West are regulated by the Public Service Commission of the State of Missouri (MPSC), in each case with respect to retail rates, certain accounting matters, standards of service and, in certain cases, the issuance of securities, certification of facilities and

service territories. The Evergy Companies are also subject to regulation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with respect to transmission, wholesale sales and rates and other matters. Evergy has an indirect 94% ownership interest in Wolf Creek Generating Station (Wolf Creek), which is subject to regulation by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) with respect to licensing, operations and safety-related requirements.

The table below summarizes the rate orders in effect for Evergy Kansas Central's, Evergy Metro's and Evergy Missouri West's retail rate jurisdictions.

(a) The KCC establishes rates for Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Kansas South on a consolidated basis.

(b) Evergy Metro's and Evergy Missouri West's current MPSC rate order does not contain an allowed return on equity or rate-making equity ratio.

Evergy expects its 2020 Kansas and Missouri jurisdictional retail revenues to be approximately 60% and 40%, respectively, based on historical averages of Evergy Kansas Central's, Evergy Metro's and Evergy Missouri West's total retail revenues.

See Item 7 MD&A, Critical Accounting Policies section, and Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information concerning regulatory matters.

Competition

Missouri and Kansas continue to operate on the fully integrated and regulated retail utility model. As a result, the Evergy Companies do not compete with others to supply and deliver electricity in their franchised service territories in exchange for agreeing to have their terms of service regulated by state regulatory bodies. If Missouri or Kansas were to pass and implement legislation authorizing or mandating retail choice, Evergy may no longer be able to apply regulated utility accounting principles to deregulated portions of its operations, which may require a surcharge to recover certain costs from legacy customers or could lead to a write-off of certain regulatory assets and liabilities.

Evergy competes in the wholesale market to sell power in circumstances when the power it generates is not required for retail customers in its service territory. This competition primarily occurs within the SPP Integrated Marketplace, in which Evergy Kansas Central, Evergy Metro and Evergy Missouri West are participants. This marketplace determines which generating units among market participants should run, within the operating constraints of a unit, at any given time for maximum regional cost-effectiveness.

The SPP Integrated Marketplace is similar to other Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) or Independent System Operator (ISO) markets currently operating in other regions of the United States.

Power Supply

Evergy has 14,700 MWs of owned generating capacity and renewable purchased power agreements. Evergy's owned generation and purchased power from others, as a percentage of total MWhs generated and purchased, was approximately 71% and 29%, respectively, over the last two years. Evergy purchases power to meet its customers' needs, to satisfy firm power commitments or to meet renewable energy standards. Management believes Evergy will be able to meet its future purchased power needs due to the coordination of planning and operations in the SPP region and existing power purchase agreements; however, price and availability of power purchases may be impacted during periods of high demand.

Evergy's total capacity by fuel type, including both owned generating capacity and purchased power agreements, is detailed in the table below.

(a) MWs are based on nameplate capacity of the wind facility. Includes owned generating capacity of 579 MWs and long-term power purchase agreements of approximately 3,063 MWs of wind generation that expire in 2028 through 2048. See Item 2, Properties, for additional information.

(b) Includes a long-term power purchase agreement for approximately 60 MWs of hydroelectric generation that expires in 2023.

Evergy's projected peak summer demand for 2020 is approximately 10,367 MWs. Evergy expects to meet its projected capacity requirements for the foreseeable future with its existing generation assets and power and capacity purchases.

Evergy Kansas Central, Evergy Metro and Evergy Missouri West are members of the SPP. The SPP is a FERC-approved RTO with the responsibility to ensure reliable power supply, adequate transmission infrastructure and competitive wholesale electricity prices in the region. As SPP members, Evergy Kansas Central, Evergy Metro and Evergy Missouri West are required to maintain a minimum reserve margin of 12%. This net positive supply of capacity is maintained through generation asset ownership, capacity agreements, power purchase agreements and peak demand reduction programs. The reserve margin is designed to support reliability of the region's electric supply.

Environmental Matters

There have been, and management believes there will continue to be, policy, legal and regulatory efforts to influence climate change, such as efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), impose a tax on emissions and create incentives for low-carbon generation and energy efficiency. These efforts, and climate change itself, have the potential to adversely affect the Evergy Companies' results of operations, financial position and cash flows. See Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, for additional information.

The Evergy Companies have taken, and will continue to take, proactive measures to mitigate the impact of climate change on its businesses. For example, the Evergy Companies regularly conduct preparedness exercises for a variety of disruptive events, including storms, which may become more frequent or intense due to climate change. In addition, the Evergy Companies have invested, and will continue to invest, in grid resiliency. Much of the Evergy Companies' infrastructure is aged, and grid resiliency efforts include building additional transmission and distribution lines, replacing aged infrastructure and proactively managing the vegetation that can damage systems during severe weather. The Evergy Companies also monitor water conditions at their generating facilities and focus on water conservation at these facilities to address resource depletion.

Transforming Evergy's Generation Fleet

The Evergy Companies are committed to a long-term strategy to reduce carbon emissions in a cost-effective and reliable manner and are targeting to achieve an 80% reduction of carbon emissions by 2050 from 2005 levels. The trajectory and timing of reaching this goal could be impacted by political, legal and regulatory actions and technological matters. Public attention is currently focused on reducing GHG emissions and closing coal-fired generating units. Diversity of fuel supply has historically provided cost and reliability benefits. In addition, the Evergy Companies must prudently utilize the generation assets that regulators have allowed the Evergy Companies to include in rates and avoid "stranding" assets by prematurely closing facilities. The Evergy Companies use an integrated resource plan, which is a detailed analysis that estimates factors that influence the future supply and

demand for electricity, to inform the manner in which they supply electricity. The integrated resource plan considers forecasts of future electricity demand, fuel prices, transmission improvements, new generating capacity, integration of renewables, energy storage, energy efficiency and demand response initiatives. Strategies that the Evergy Companies have pursued include:

Since 2005, the Evergy Companies have added over 3,500 megawatts of renewables, while retiring more than 2,400 megawatts of fossil generation. The transition of their generation fleet has allowed the Evergy Companies to reduce carbon emissions by almost 40% since 2005. The Evergy Companies are also committed to transparency. On its website, www.evergy.com, Evergy provides quantitative and qualitative data regarding various environmental, social and governance matters, including information related to emissions, waste and water. The contents of the website and report are not incorporated into this filing.

See Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements for information regarding environmental matters.

Fuel

The fuel sources for Evergy's owned generation and purchased power agreements are coal, wind and other renewable sources, uranium and natural gas and oil. The actual 2019 fuel mix and fuel cost in cents per net kilowatt hour (kWh) delivered are outlined in the following table.

(a) Fuel mix based on percent of net MWhs generated by owned resources and delivered under renewable purchased power agreements.

(b) Fuel cost in cents per net kWh delivered includes purchased power costs associated with renewable purchased power agreements.

Coal

During 2020, Evergy's generating units, including jointly-owned units, are projected to use approximately 17 million tons of coal. Evergy Kansas Central, Evergy Metro and Evergy Missouri West have entered into coal-purchase contracts with various suppliers in Wyoming's Powder River Basin (PRB), the nation's principal supply region of low-sulfur coal, and with local suppliers. The coal to be provided under these contracts is expected to satisfy approximately 80% of the projected coal requirements for 2020 and approximately 10% for 2021. The remainder of the coal requirements is expected to be fulfilled through entering into additional contracts or spot market purchases.

Evergy Kansas Central, Evergy Metro and Evergy Missouri West have also entered into rail transportation contracts with various railroads to transport coal from the PRB and local suppliers to their generating units. The transportation services to be provided under these contracts are expected to satisfy almost all of the projected transportation requirements for 2020 and approximately 75% for 2021. The contract rates adjust for changes in railroad costs.

Nuclear Fuel

Evergy Kansas South and Evergy Metro each owns 47% of Wolf Creek, which is Evergy's only nuclear generating unit. Wolf Creek purchases uranium and has it processed for use as fuel in its reactor. This process involves conversion of uranium concentrates to uranium hexafluoride, enrichment of uranium hexafluoride and fabrication of nuclear fuel assemblies. The owners of Wolf Creek have on hand or under contract all of the uranium, uranium enrichment and conversion services needed to operate Wolf Creek through 2027. The owners also have under contract all of the uranium fabrication required to operate Wolf Creek through September 2025.

Natural Gas

Evergy purchases natural gas for use in its generating units primarily through spot market purchases. From time to time, Evergy also may enter into contracts, including the use of derivatives, in an effort to manage the cost of natural gas. For additional information about our exposure to commodity price risks, see Item 7A., Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

Evergy Kansas Central maintains natural gas transportation arrangements with Kansas Gas Service and Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline. The Kansas Gas Service arrangement has historically expired on April 30 of each year and is renegotiated for an additional one-year term. The Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline arrangement expires based on the generating unit being served with expiration dates from 2022 to 2030.

Evergy Kansas Central, Inc.

Evergy Kansas Central, a Kansas corporation incorporated in 1924 and headquartered in Topeka, Kansas, is an integrated, regulated electric utility that engages in the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity. Evergy Kansas Central serves approximately 716,200 customers located in central and eastern Kansas. Customers include approximately 624,400 residences, 87,300 commercial firms, and 4,500 industrials, municipalities and other electric utilities. Evergy Kansas Central's retail revenues averaged approximately 76% of its total operating revenues over the last three years. Wholesale firm power, bulk power sales, transmission and miscellaneous electric revenues accounted for the remainder of Evergy Kansas Central's revenues. Evergy Kansas Central is significantly impacted by seasonality with approximately one-third of its retail revenues recorded in the third quarter.

Evergy Metro, Inc.

Evergy Metro, a Missouri corporation incorporated in 1922 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an integrated, regulated electric utility that engages in the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity. Evergy Metro serves approximately 558,200 customers located in western Missouri and eastern Kansas. Customers include approximately 493,300 residences, 62,900 commercial firms, and 2,000 industrials, municipalities and other electric utilities. Evergy Metro's retail revenues averaged approximately 92% of its total operating revenues over the last three years. Wholesale firm power, bulk power sales and miscellaneous electric revenues accounted for the remainder of Evergy Metro's revenues. Evergy Metro is significantly impacted by seasonality with approximately one-third of its retail revenues recorded in the third quarter. Missouri and Kansas jurisdictional retail revenues for Evergy Metro averaged approximately 56% and 44%, respectively, of total retail revenues over the last three years.

Employees

At December 31, 2019, the Evergy Companies had 4,617 employees, including 2,520 represented by five local unions of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). Evergy also has a 94% indirect ownership share in Wolf Creek, which, at December 31, 2019, had 858 employees, including 477 represented by a local union of the IBEW and a local union of the United Government Security Officers of America (UGSOA). Evergy Kansas Central has labor agreements with IBEW Locals 304 and 1523, representing power plant and transmission and distribution workers (expires June 30, 2021). Evergy Metro has labor agreements with IBEW Local 1613, representing clerical employees (expires March 31, 2021), with IBEW Local 1464, representing transmission and distribution workers (expires January 31, 2021), and with IBEW Local 412, representing power plant workers (expires February 28, 2021). Wolf Creek has labor agreements with IBEW Local 304 (expires September 20, 2021) and UGSOA Local 252 (expires July 31, 2020).

Information About Evergy's Executive Officers

Set forth below is information relating to the executive officers of Evergy, Inc. Each executive officer holds the same position with each of Evergy Kansas Central, Inc., Evergy Metro, Inc., Evergy Kansas South, Inc. and Evergy Missouri West, Inc. as he or she does with Evergy, Inc. Executive officers serve at the pleasure of the board of directors. There are no family relationships among any of the executive officers, nor any arrangements or understandings between any executive officer and other persons pursuant to which he or she was appointed as an executive officer.

Utility Regulatory Risks:

Prices are established by regulators and may not be sufficient to result in a recovery of costs or provide for a return on investment.

The prices that the FERC, KCC and MPSC authorize the utility subsidiaries of Evergy to charge significantly influence the Evergy Companies' results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

In general, utilities are allowed to recover in customer rates costs that were prudently incurred to provide utility service, plus a reasonable return on invested capital. There can be no assurance, however, that regulators will determine costs to have been prudently incurred. Further, the amounts approved by the regulators may not be sufficient to allow for a recovery of costs or provide for an adequate return on and of capital investments. Also, amounts that were approved by regulators may be appealed, modified, limited or eliminated by subsequent regulatory or legislative actions. A failure to recover costs or earn a reasonable return on invested capital could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations, financial condition and cash flows of Evergy and its utility subsidiaries.

The Evergy Companies are also exposed to cost-recovery shortfalls due to the inherent "regulatory lag" in the rate-setting process. This is because utility rates are generally based on historical information and, except for certain situations where regulators allow for recovery of expenses through use of a formula that tracks costs, are not subject to adjustment between rate cases. In connection with the merger, Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Metro agreed

to a five-year base rate moratorium in Kansas beginning in December 2018. See Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information. In addition, effective as of January 1, 2019, Evergy Metro and Evergy Missouri West elected into plant-in service accounting (PISA), which, by law, requires each company to keep base rates constant for three years following Evergy Metro's and Evergy Missouri West's last general rate case and limits the extent to which prices can increase thereafter. These and other factors may result in under-recovery of costs or failure to earn the authorized return on investment, or both.

Failure to timely recover the full investment costs of capital projects, the impact of renewable energy and energy efficiency programs, other utility costs and expenses due to regulatory disallowances, regulatory lag or other factors could lead to lowered credit ratings, reduced access to capital markets, increased financing costs, lower flexibility due to constrained financial resources and increased collateral security requirements or reductions or delays in planned capital expenditures. In response to competitive, economic, political, legislative, public perception and regulatory pressures, Evergy's utility subsidiaries may be subject to rate moratoriums, rate refunds, limits on rate increases, lower allowed returns on investments or rate reductions, including phase-in plans designed to spread the impact of rate increases over an extended period for the benefit of customers. Any of these results could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations, financial condition and cash flows of the Evergy Companies.

Legislative and regulatory requirements may increase costs and result in compliance penalties.

FERC, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and SPP have implemented and enforce an extensive set of transmission system reliability, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection standards that apply to public utilities. The MPSC and KCC have the authority to implement utility operational standards and requirements, such as vegetation management standards, facilities inspection requirements and quality of service standards. In addition, Evergy is also subject to health, safety and other requirements enacted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Labor and other federal and state agencies. As discussed more fully under "Operational Risks," the NRC extensively regulates nuclear power plants, including Wolf Creek. The costs of complying with existing, new or modified regulations, standards and other requirements could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations, financial position and cash flows of the Evergy Companies. Furthermore, regulatory changes could result in operational changes that increase costs or adversely impact the Evergy Companies' prospects. In addition, failure to meet quality of service, reliability, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection, operational or other standards and requirements could expose the Evergy Companies to penalties, additional compliance costs or adverse rate consequences, any of which could have a material adverse impact on their results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Environmental Risks:

Costs to comply with environmental laws and regulations, including those relating to GHG emissions, are significant and may adversely impact operations and financial results.

The Evergy Companies are subject to extensive and evolving federal, state and local environmental laws, regulations and permit requirements relating to air and water quality, waste management and hazardous substance disposal, protected natural resources (such as wetlands, endangered species and other protected wildlife) and health and safety. For example, Evergy Kansas Central, Evergy Metro and Evergy Missouri West combust large amounts of fossil fuels in the production of electricity, which results in significant emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other GHGs. Federal legislation regulates the emission of GHGs and numerous states and regions have adopted programs to stabilize or reduce GHG emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) regulate emissions under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAA), water under the Clean Water Act (CWA) and waste management under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), among other laws and regulations. See Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information.

Compliance with these laws, regulations and requirements requires significant capital and operating resources, and the failure to comply could result in substantial fines, injunctive relief and other sanctions. In addition, there is a risk of lawsuits alleging violations of environmental laws, regulations or requirements, claiming creation of a public nuisance or other matters, and seeking injunctions or monetary damages or other relief.

Environmental permits are subject to periodic renewal, which may result in more stringent permit conditions and limits. New facilities, or modifications of existing facilities, may require new environmental permits or amendments to existing permits. Delays in the environmental permitting process, public opposition and challenges, denials of permit applications, limits or conditions imposed in permits and the associated uncertainty may materially adversely affect the cost and timing of projects, and thus materially adversely affect the results of operations, financial position and cash flows of the Evergy Companies. In addition, compliance with environmental laws, regulations and requirements could alter the way assets are managed, which in turn could result in retiring assets earlier than expected, recording asset retirement obligations (AROs) or having a regulator disallow recovery of costs that had been prudently incurred in connection with those assets.

Costs of compliance with environmental laws, regulations and requirements, or fines, penalties or negative lawsuit outcomes, if not recovered in rates from customers, could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations, financial position and cash flows of the Evergy Companies.

Financial Risks:

Financial market disruptions or declines in the Evergy Companies' credit ratings may increase financing costs and limit access to the credit markets, which may adversely affect liquidity and financial results.

The Evergy Companies rely on funds from operations and access to the capital and credit markets to fund capital expenditures and for working capital and liquidity. Disruption in capital or credit markets, increases in interest rates, deterioration in the financial condition of the financial institutions on which the Evergy Companies rely, credit rating downgrades, a decrease in the market price of Evergy's common stock or a decrease or disappearance in the demand for debt securities issued by the Evergy Companies or subsidiaries could have material adverse effects on the Evergy Companies. These effects could include, among others: reduced access to capital and increased cost of borrowed funds and collateral requirements; dilution resulting from equity issuances at reduced prices; increased nuclear decommissioning trust and pension and other post-retirement benefit plan funding requirements; reduced ability to pay dividends; rate case disallowance of costs of capital; reductions in or delays of capital expenditures; and limitations in the ability of Evergy to provide credit support for its subsidiaries. Further, Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Metro have outstanding tax-exempt bonds that may be put back to the respective issuer at the option of the holders, which could adversely impact liquidity. In addition, market disruption and volatility could have an adverse impact on Evergy's lenders, suppliers and other counterparties or customers, causing them to fail to meet their obligations.

Evergy is a holding company and relies on the earnings of its subsidiaries to meet its financial obligations.

Evergy is a holding company with no significant operations of its own. The primary source of funds for payment of dividends to its shareholders and its other financial obligations is dividends paid to it by its direct subsidiaries, particularly Evergy Kansas Central, Evergy Metro and Evergy Missouri West. Evergy's subsidiaries are separate legal entities and have no obligation to provide Evergy with funds. The ability of Evergy's subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions, and accordingly, Evergy's ability to pay dividends on its common stock and meet its financial obligations, principally depends on the earnings and cash flows, capital requirements and general financial position of its subsidiaries, as well as regulatory factors, financial covenants, general business conditions and other matters.

In addition, the Evergy Companies are subject to certain corporate and regulatory restrictions and financial covenants that could affect their ability to pay dividends. Under the Federal Power Act, Evergy Kansas Central, Evergy Metro and Evergy Missouri West generally can pay dividends only out of retained earnings. In connection with approval of the merger in Missouri, each of Evergy Metro and Evergy Missouri West agreed to not pay dividends to Evergy if its credit rating falls below BBB- for S&P Global Ratings or Baa3 for Moody's Investor Services. In connection with approval of the merger in Kansas, each of Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Metro agreed to not pay dividends to Evergy if (i) the payment would result in an increase in the utility's debt level (excluding short-term debt and debt due within one year) above 60 percent of its total capitalization, absent approval from the KCC or (ii) if its credit rating falls below BBB- for S&P Global Ratings or Baa3 for Moody's Investor Services. As described elsewhere in this Form 10-K, the Evergy Companies are also required to maintain a

consolidated indebtedness to consolidated total capitalization ratio of not more than 0.65 to 1.00, which could restrict the amount of dividends the Evergy Companies are permitted to pay. Evergy cannot guarantee dividends will be paid in the future or that, if paid, dividends will satisfy announced targets or investor expectations or be paid with the same frequency as in the past.

In addition, from time to time Evergy may guarantee debt obligations of its subsidiaries. Under the financing agreements to which Evergy is a party, a guarantee of debt may be considered indebtedness for purposes of complying with financial covenants that dictate the extent to which Evergy can borrow money, and any guarantee payments could adversely affect Evergy's liquidity and ability to service its own debt obligations.

Increasing costs associated with defined benefit retirement and postretirement plans, health care plans and other employee benefits could adversely affect Evergy's financial position and liquidity.

Evergy maintains defined benefit retirement and other post-retirement employee benefit plans for certain current and former employees. The costs of these plans depend on a number of factors, including the rates of return on plan assets, the level and nature of the provided benefits, discount rates, the interest rates used to measure required minimum funding levels, changes in benefit design, changes in laws or regulations and the amount of any required or voluntary contributions to the plans. The Evergy Companies have substantial unfunded liabilities under these plans. Also, if the rate of retirements exceeds planned levels, these plans experience adverse market returns on investments or interest rates fall, required or voluntary contributions to the plans could be material. In addition, changes in accounting rules and assumptions related to future costs, returns on investments, interest rates and other actuarial assumptions, including projected retirements, could have a significant adverse impact on the results of operations, financial position and cash flows of the Evergy Companies.

The costs of providing health care benefits to employees and retirees have increased in recent years and may continue to rise in the future. Future legislative changes related to health care could also cause significant changes to benefit programs and costs. The increasing costs associated with health care plans could have a significant adverse impact on the results of operations, financial position and cash flows of the Evergy Companies.

The use of derivative contracts could result in financial losses and impair liquidity.

The Evergy Companies use derivative instruments, such as swaps, options, futures and forwards, to manage commodity and financial risks. Losses could be recognized as a result of volatility in the market values of these contracts, if a counterparty fails to perform or if the underlying transactions, which the derivative instruments are intended to hedge, fail to materialize. The valuation of these financial instruments can involve management's judgment or the use of estimates. As a result, changes in the underlying assumptions or use of alternative valuation methods could affect the reported fair value of these contracts.

Tax legislation and an inability to utilize tax credits could adversely impact financial results and liquidity.

Tax laws and regulations can adversely affect, among other things, financial results, liquidity, credit ratings and the valuation of assets, such as deferred income tax assets. Over the last several years, income tax obligations have been reduced due to the use of bonus depreciation provisions that allow for an acceleration of deductions for tax purposes and IRS guidance on tax deductions for repairs. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) eliminates bonus depreciation for regulated utilities on new capital investments. The Evergy Companies regularly assess their ability to utilize tax benefits, including those in the form of net operating loss, tax credit and other tax carryforwards, that are recorded as deferred income tax assets on its balance sheets to determine whether a valuation allowance is necessary. A reduction in, or disallowance of, these tax benefits could have an adverse impact on the financial results and liquidity of the Evergy Companies. Additionally, changes in corporate tax rates or policy changes, such as those resulting from the TCJA, as well as any inability to generate enough taxable income in the future to utilize all tax benefits before they expire, could have an adverse impact on the financial results and liquidity of the Evergy Companies.

In addition, the Evergy Companies construct and operate renewable energy facilities that generate tax credits that reduce federal income tax obligations. The amount of tax credits is dependent on several factors, including the amount of electricity produced and the applicable tax credit rate. A variety of operating and economic parameters, including transmission constraints, adverse weather conditions and breakdown or failure of equipment, could

significantly reduce these tax credits, which could have an adverse impact on the financial results of the Evergy Companies.

The anticipated benefits of the merger may not be realized.

The Evergy Companies have incurred, and expect to incur additional, significant costs associated with combining the operations of Great Plains Energy and Evergy Kansas Central. Additional unanticipated costs may also be incurred in the integration of the businesses of Great Plains Energy and Evergy Kansas Central. The Evergy Companies expect the merger to produce various benefits, including, among other things, operating efficiencies and cost savings. However, achieving the anticipated benefits is subject to a number of uncertainties, including:

No assurance can be given that these benefits will be achieved or achieved in a timely manner. Integration costs could have a material adverse impact on the results of the Evergy Companies, and a failure to achieve the anticipated benefits of the merger could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations, financial position and cash flows of the Evergy Companies. In addition, the Evergy Companies may encounter difficulties in integrating the operations of the companies, including inconsistencies in standards, systems and controls, and management's focus and resources may be diverted from ordinary business activities and opportunities in order to focus on integration efforts. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on the Evergy Companies.

The price of Evergy common stock may experience volatility.

The price of Evergy common stock may be volatile. Some of the factors that could affect the price of Evergy common stock are Evergy's earnings; estimates or statements by the investment community; the ability of the Evergy Companies to implement their strategic plan or to realize the expected synergies and other benefits from the merger; the ability of Evergy to deploy capital; actions by regulators; and speculation in the press or investment community about the Evergy Companies' strategy, earnings per share or growth prospects, financial condition or results of operations. Individuals or entities, such as activist shareholders and special interest groups, may also seek to influence the Evergy Companies' strategic plan or take other actions that could disrupt the Evergy Companies' business, financial results or operations and could adversely impact Evergy's stock price. General market conditions and U.S. economic factors and political events unrelated to the performance of the Evergy may also affect Evergy's stock price. For these reasons, shareholders should not rely on historical trends in the price of Great Plains Energy or Evergy Kansas Central common stock to predict the price of Evergy's common stock or its financial results.

Evergy has recorded goodwill that could become impaired and adversely affect financial results**.**

As required by generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), Evergy recorded a significant amount of goodwill on its balance sheet in connection with completion of the merger. Evergy assesses goodwill for impairment on an annual basis or whenever events or circumstances occur that would indicate a potential for impairment. If goodwill is deemed to be impaired, Evergy may be required to incur non-cash charges that could materially adversely affect its results of operations.

Customer and Weather-Related Risks:

Evergy's results of operations, financial position and cash flows can be materially affected by changes in electricity consumption.

Change in customer behaviors in response to energy efficiency programs, changing conditions and preferences or changes in the adoption of technologies could affect the consumption of energy by customers. Federal and state programs exist to influence the way customers use energy and regulators have mandates to promote energy efficiency. Conservation programs and customers' level of participation in the programs could impact the financial results of the Evergy Companies in adverse ways.

Technological advances, energy efficiency and other energy conservation measures have reduced and will continue to reduce customer electricity consumption. The Evergy Companies generate electricity at central station power plants to achieve economies of scale and produce electricity at a competitive cost. Self-generation and distributed generation technologies, including microturbines, wind turbines, fuel cells and solar cells, as well as those related to the storage of energy produced by these systems, have become economically competitive with the manner and price at which the Evergy Companies sell electricity. There is also a perception that generating or storing electricity through these technologies is more environmentally friendly than generating electricity with fossil fuels. Increased adoption of these technologies could reduce electricity demand and the pool of customers from whom fixed costs are recovered, resulting in under recovery of the fixed costs of the Evergy Companies. Increased self-generation and the related use of net energy metering, which allows self-generating customers to receive bill credits for surplus power, could put upward price pressure on remaining customers. If the Evergy Companies are unable to adjust to reduced electricity demand and increased self-generation and net energy metering, their financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Changes in customer electricity consumption due to sustained financial market disruptions, downturns or sluggishness in the economy or other factors may also adversely affect the results of operations, financial position and cash flows of the Evergy Companies.

Weather is a major driver of the results of operations, financial position and cash flows of the Evergy Companies and the Evergy Companies are subject to risks associated with climate change.

Weather conditions directly influence the demand for and price of electricity. The Evergy Companies are significantly impacted by seasonality, and, due to energy demand created by air conditioning load, highest revenues are typically recorded in the third quarter. Unusually mild winter or summer weather can adversely affect sales. In addition, severe weather and events, including tornados, snow, fire, rain, flooding and ice storms, can be destructive and cause outages and property damage that can result in increased expenses, lower revenues and additional capital restoration costs. Storm reserves established by the Evergy Companies may be insufficient and rates may not be adjusted in a timely manner, or at all, to recover these costs. Additionally, because many of the Evergy Companies' generating stations utilize water for cooling, low water and flow levels can increase maintenance costs at these stations, result in limited power production and require modifications to plant operations. High water conditions can also impair planned deliveries of fuel to generating stations. Climate change may produce more frequent or severe weather events, such as storms, droughts or floods and could also impact the economic health of Evergy's service territories. An increase in the frequency or severity of extreme weather events or a deterioration in the economic health of Evergy's service territories could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations, financial position and cash flows of the Evergy Companies.

In addition, policy, legal and regulatory efforts to influence climate change, such as efforts to reduce GHG emissions, impose a tax on emissions and create incentives for low-carbon generation and energy efficiency, could result in reduced sales and require significant costs to respond to such efforts. These efforts could also result in the early retirement of generation facilities, which could result in stranded costs if regulators disallow recovery of investments that were prudent when originally made. The Evergy Companies are targeting to achieve an 80% reduction of carbon emissions by 2050 from 2005 levels. The trajectory and timing of the goal could be impacted by various factors, including policy, legal or regulatory actions, a lack of technological advancements or other reasons. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect the results of operations, financial position and cash flows of the Evergy Companies and the market prices of Evergy's common stock.

Operational Risks:

Operational risks may adversely affect the Evergy Companies.

The operation of electric generation, transmission, distribution and information systems involves many risks, including breakdown or failure of equipment; aging infrastructure; operator error or contractor or subcontractor failure; problems that delay or increase the cost of returning facilities to service after outages; limitations that may be imposed by equipment conditions or environmental, safety or other regulatory requirements; fuel supply or fuel transportation reductions or interruptions; labor disputes; difficulties with the implementation or operation of

information systems; transmission scheduling constraints; and catastrophic events such as fires, floods, droughts, explosions, terrorism, severe weather, pandemics or other similar occurrences. Many of the Evergy Companies' generation, transmission and distribution resources are aged, which increases the risk of unplanned outages, reduced generation output and higher maintenance expense. Any equipment or system outage or constraint can, among other things, reduce sales, increase costs and affect the ability to meet regulatory service metrics, customer expectations and regulatory reliability and security requirements.

The Evergy Companies have general liability and property insurance to cover a portion of their facilities, but such policies do not cover transmission or distribution systems, are subject to certain limits and deductibles and do not include business interruption coverage. Insurance coverage may not be available in the future at reasonable costs or on commercially reasonable terms, and the insurance proceeds received for any loss of, or any damage to, any facilities may not be sufficient to restore the loss or damage.

These and other operating events may reduce revenues or increase costs, or both, and may materially affect the results of operations, financial position and cash flows of the Evergy Companies.

Physical and cybersecurity breaches, criminal activity, terrorist attacks and other disruptions to facilities or information technology infrastructure could interfere with operations, expose the Evergy Companies or their customers or employees to a risk of loss, expose the Evergy Companies to legal or regulatory liability and cause reputational and other harm.

The Evergy Companies rely upon information technology networks and systems to process, transmit and store electronic information, and to manage or support a variety of business processes and activities, including the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, supply chain functions and the invoicing and collection of payments from customers. The Evergy Companies also use information technology networks and systems to record, process and summarize financial information and results of operations for internal reporting purposes and to comply with financial reporting, legal and tax requirements. These networks and systems are in some cases owned or managed by third-party service providers. In the ordinary course of business, the Evergy Companies collect, store and transmit sensitive data including operating information, proprietary business information and personal information belonging to customers and employees.

The Evergy Companies' information technology networks and infrastructure, as well as the networks and infrastructure belonging to third-party service providers are vulnerable to damage, disruptions or shutdowns due to attacks or breaches by hackers or other unauthorized third parties; error or malfeasance by one or more employees or service providers; software or hardware upgrades; additions or replacements; malicious software code; telecommunication failures; natural disasters or other catastrophic events. The occurrence of any of these events could, among other things, impact the reliability or safety of the Evergy Companies' generation, transmission and distribution systems; result in the erasure of data or render the Evergy Companies' equipment, or the equipment of third-party service providers, unusable; impact the Evergy Companies' ability to conduct business in the ordinary course; reduce sales; expose the Evergy Companies and their customers, employees and vendors to a risk of loss or misuse of information; and result in legal claims or proceedings, liability or regulatory penalties, damage the Evergy Companies' reputation or otherwise harm their business. The Evergy Companies can provide no assurance that they will be able to identify and remediate all security or system vulnerabilities or that unauthorized access or error will be identified and remediated.

The Evergy Companies are subject to laws and rules issued by multiple government agencies concerning safeguarding and maintaining the confidentiality of their security, customer and business information. For example, NERC has issued comprehensive regulations and standards surrounding the security of bulk power systems and is continually in the process of developing updated and new requirements with which the utility industry must comply. The NRC also has issued regulations and standards related to the protection of critical digital assets at nuclear power plants. Compliance with NERC and NRC rules and standards, and rules and standards promulgated by other regulatory agencies from time to time or future legislation, will increase the Evergy Companies' compliance costs and their exposure to the potential risk of violations of these rules, standards or future legislation, which includes potential financial penalties. Furthermore, the non-compliance of other utilities with applicable regulations or the

occurrence of a serious security event at other utilities could result in increased regulation or oversight, both of which could increase the Evergy Companies' costs and impact their financial results.

Additionally, the Evergy Companies cannot predict the impact that any future information technology or malicious attack may have on the energy industry in general. The electric utility industry, both within the United States and internationally, has experienced physical and cybersecurity attacks on energy infrastructure such as power plants, substations and related assets in the past, and there will likely be more attacks in the future. The Evergy Companies' facilities and systems could be direct targets or indirect casualties of such attacks. The effects of such attacks could include disruption to the Evergy Companies' generation, transmission and distribution systems or to the electrical grid in general, reduced sales and could increase the cost of insurance coverage or result in a decline in the U.S. economy. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse impact on the Evergy Companies' operations or financial results.

The cost and schedule of capital projects may materially change and expected performance may not be achieved.

The Evergy Companies' business is capital intensive and includes significant construction projects. The risks of any capital project include: actual costs may exceed estimated costs; regulators may disallow, limit or delay the recovery of all or part of the cost of, or a return on, a capital project; risks associated with the capital and credit markets to fund projects; delays in receiving, or failure to receive, necessary permits, approvals and other regulatory authorizations; unforeseen engineering problems or changes in project design or scope; the failure of suppliers and contractors to perform as required under their contracts; inadequate availability or increased cost of labor or materials, including commodities such as steel, copper and aluminum that may be subject to uncertain or increased tariffs; inclement weather; new or changed laws, regulations and requirements, including environmental and health and safety laws, regulations and requirements; and other events beyond the Evergy Companies' control may occur that may materially affect the schedule, cost and performance of these projects.

These and other risks could cause the Evergy Companies to defer or limit capital expenditures, materially increase the costs of capital projects, delay the in-service dates of projects, adversely affect the performance of the projects and require the purchase of electricity on the wholesale market, at potentially more expensive prices, until the projects are completed. These risks may significantly affect the Evergy Companies' results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

The Evergy Companies are exposed to risks associated with the ownership and operation of a nuclear generating unit, which could adversely impact the Evergy Companies' business and financial results.

Evergy indirectly owns 94% of Wolf Creek, with Evergy Kansas South and Evergy Metro each owning 47% of the nuclear plant. The NRC has broad authority under federal law to impose licensing and safety-related requirements for the operation of nuclear generation facilities, including Wolf Creek. In the event of non-compliance, the NRC has the authority to impose fines, shut down the facilities, or both, depending upon its assessment of the severity of the situation, until compliance is achieved. Additionally, the non-compliance of other nuclear facility operators with applicable regulations or the occurrence of a serious nuclear incident anywhere in the world could result in increased regulation of the nuclear industry. Such events could increase Wolf Creek's costs and impact the financial results of the Evergy Companies or result in a shutdown of Wolf Creek.

An extended outage of Wolf Creek, whether resulting from NRC action, an incident at the plant or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations, financial position and cash flows of the Evergy Companies in the event replacement power and other costs are not recovered through rates or insurance. If a long-term outage occurred, the state regulatory commissions could reduce rates by excluding the Wolf Creek investment from rate base. Wolf Creek was constructed prior to 1986 and the age of Wolf Creek increases the risk of unplanned outages and results in higher maintenance costs.

On an annual basis, Evergy Kansas South and Evergy Metro are required to contribute money to tax-qualified trusts that were established to pay for decommissioning costs at the end of the unit's life. The amount of contributions varies depending on estimates of decommissioning expenses and projected return on trust assets. If the actual return on trust assets is below the projected level or actual decommissioning costs are higher than estimated, Evergy

Kansas South and Evergy Metro could be responsible for the balance of funds required and may not be allowed to recover the balance through rates.

The Evergy Companies are also exposed to other risks associated with the ownership and operation of a nuclear generating unit, including, but not limited to, (i) potential liability associated with the potential harmful effects on the environment and human health resulting from the operation of a nuclear generating unit, (ii) the storage, handling, disposal and potential release (by accident, through third-party actions or otherwise) of radioactive materials and (iii) uncertainties with respect to contingencies and assessments if insurance coverage is inadequate. Under the structure for insurance among owners of nuclear generating units, Evergy Kansas South and Evergy Metro are also liable for potential retrospective premium assessments (subject to a cap) per incident at any commercial reactor in the country and losses in excess of insurance coverage.

In addition, Wolf Creek is reliant on a sole supplier for fuel and related services. The supplier has in the past been the subject of Chapter 11 reorganization proceedings, and an extended outage of Wolf Creek could occur if the supplier is not able to perform under its contracts with Wolf Creek. Switching to another supplier could take an extended amount of time and would require NRC approval. An extended outage at Wolf Creek could affect the amount of Wolf Creek investment included in customer rates and could have a material impact on the Evergy Companies' financial results.

The structure of the regional power market in which the Evergy Companies operate could have an adverse effect on their results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Evergy Kansas Central, Evergy Metro and Evergy Missouri West are members of the SPP regional transmission organization, and each has transferred operational authority (but not ownership) of their transmission facilities to the SPP. The SPP's Integrated Marketplace determines which generating units among market participants should run, within the operating constraints of a unit, at any given time for maximum cost-effectiveness. In the event that Evergy Kansas Central's, Evergy Metro's or Evergy Missouri West's generating units are not among the lowest cost generating units operating within the market, each could experience decreased levels of wholesale electricity sales.

A market for Transmission Congestion Rights (TCR) is also included as part of the Integrated Marketplace. TCRs are financial instruments used to hedge transmission congestion charges. Evergy Kansas Central, Evergy Metro and Evergy Missouri West acquire TCRs for the purpose of hedging against transmission congestion charges. There is a risk that the entities could incorrectly model the amount of TCRs needed, or that the TCRs acquired could be ineffective in hedging against transmission congestion charges, either of which could lead to increased purchased power costs.

The rules governing the various regional power markets, including the SPP, may change from time to time and such changes could impact the costs and revenues of the Evergy Companies.

Litigation Risks:

The outcome of legal proceedings cannot be predicted. An adverse finding could have a material adverse effect on the Evergy Companies' results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

The Evergy Companies are parties to various lawsuits and regulatory proceedings in the ordinary course of their respective businesses. The outcome of these matters cannot be determined, nor, in many cases, can the liability that could potentially result from each case be reasonably estimated. The liability that the Evergy Companies may incur with respect to any of these cases may be in excess of amounts currently accrued and insured against with respect to such matters and could adversely impact the financial results for the Evergy Companies.

None.

Generation Resources

(a) Capability (except for wind generating facilities) represents estimated 2020 net generating capacity. Capability for wind generating facilities represents the nameplate capacity. Due to the intermittent nature of wind generation, these facilities are associated with a total of 1,404 MW of accredited generating capacity pursuant to SPP reliability standards.

(b) Share of a jointly owned unit.

(c) In 1987, Evergy Kansas South entered into a sale-leaseback transaction involving its 50% interest in the La Cygne Unit 2. Evergy and Evergy Kansas Central consolidate the leasing entity as a variable interest entity (VIE). See Note 19 to the consolidated financial statements for more information.

(d) Although the plant was completed in 1969, a new boiler, air quality control equipment and an uprated turbine were placed in service at the Hawthorn Generating Station in 2001.

(e) Evergy Kansas Central renewable purchased power agreement.

(f) Evergy Metro renewable purchased power agreement.

(g) Evergy Missouri West renewable purchased power agreement.

(h) Evergy Metro and Evergy Missouri West renewable purchased power agreement.

Transmission and Distribution Resources

Evergy's electric transmission system interconnects with systems of other utilities for reliability and to permit wholesale transactions with other electricity suppliers. Evergy has approximately 10,100 circuit miles of

transmission lines, 39,700 circuit miles of overhead distribution lines and 12,700 circuit miles of underground distribution lines in Missouri and Kansas. Evergy has all material franchise rights necessary to sell electricity within its retail service territory. Evergy's transmission and distribution systems are routinely monitored for adequacy to meet customer needs. Management believes the current systems are adequate to serve customers.

General

Evergy's generating plants are located on property owned (or co-owned) by the Evergy Companies, except for certain facilities that are located on easements or are contractually controlled. Evergy's service centers, electric substations and a portion of its transmission and distribution systems are located on property owned or leased by Evergy. Evergy's transmission and distribution systems are for the most part located above or underneath highways, streets, other public places or property owned by others. Evergy believes that it has satisfactory rights to use those places or properties in the form of permits, grants, easements, licenses or franchise rights; however, it has not necessarily undertaken efforts to examine the underlying title to the land upon which the rights rest. Evergy's headquarters are located in leased office space.

Substantially all of the fixed property and franchises of the Evergy Companies, which consist principally of electric generating stations, electric transmission and distribution lines and systems, and buildings (subject to exceptions, reservations and releases), are subject to mortgage indentures pursuant to which bonds have been issued and are outstanding. See Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements for more information.

Other Proceedings

The Evergy Companies are parties to various lawsuits and regulatory proceedings in the ordinary course of their respective businesses. For information regarding material lawsuits and proceedings, see Notes 5 and 15 to the consolidated financial statements. Such information is incorporated herein by reference.

Not applicable.

PART II

EVERGY, INC.

Evergy's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "EVRG." At February 24, 2020, Evergy's common stock was held by 22,695 shareholders of record.

Performance Graph

The following graph compares the performance of Evergy's common stock during the period that began on June 5, 2018 (the first day that Evergy's common stock traded), and ended on December 31, 2019, to the performance of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500) and the Standard & Poor's Electric Utility Index (S&P 500 Electric Utilities). The graph assumes a $100 investment in Evergy's common stock and in each of the indices at the beginning of the period and a reinvestment of dividends paid on such investments throughout the period.

Purchases of Equity Securities

The following table provides information regarding purchases by Evergy of its equity securities that are registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act), during the three months ended December 31, 2019.

(a) In July 2018, the Evergy Board authorized the repurchase of up to 60 million shares of Evergy's common stock with no expiration date. See Note 18 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information on Evergy's common stock repurchase program.

(b) In November 2019, a portion of the September 2019 accelerated share repurchase (ASR) agreement was settled, which resulted in the delivery of 628,929 additional shares of Evergy common stock at no additional cost. The remainder of the September 2019 ASR agreement was settled in December 2019, which resulted in the delivery of 635,720 additional shares of Evergy common stock at no additional cost. In total, 7,815,204 shares were delivered under the September 2019 ASR agreement at an average price paid per share of $64.03.

Dividend Restrictions

For information regarding dividend restrictions, see Note 18 to the consolidated financial statements.

(a) Includes long-term debt, current maturities of long-term debt, finance leases, operating leases, long-term debt of VIEs and current maturities of long-term debt of VIEs. Obligations related to operating leases are only included beginning in 2019 due to Evergy's adoption of Topic 842, Leases. See Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information.

(b) On June 4, 2018, Evergy completed the mergers contemplated by the Amended Merger Agreement. The results of Great Plains Energy's direct subsidiaries have been included in Evergy's results from the date of the closing of the merger and thereafter. Evergy amounts for 2017, 2016 and 2015 reflect the results of operation and financial position of Evergy Kansas Central as the accounting acquirer in the merger transaction.

The following combined Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in this combined annual report on Form 10-K. None of the registrants make any representation as to information related solely to Evergy, Evergy Kansas Central or Evergy Metro other than itself.

The following MD&A generally discusses 2019 and 2018 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2019 and 2018. Discussions of 2017 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2018 and 2017 can be found in MD&A in Part II, Item 7, of the Evergy Companies' combined annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018.

EVERGY, INC.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Evergy is a public utility holding company incorporated in 2017 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Evergy operates primarily through the following wholly-owned direct subsidiaries listed below. In September 2019, these wholly-owned direct subsidiaries were rebranded and renamed under the Evergy brand name.

Evergy Kansas Central also owns a 50% interest in Prairie Wind, which is a joint venture between Evergy Kansas Central and subsidiaries of AEP and Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company. Prairie Wind owns a 108-mile, 345 kV double-circuit transmission line that provides transmission service in the SPP. Evergy Kansas Central accounts for its investment in Prairie Wind under the equity method.

Since the rebranding in September 2019, Evergy Kansas Central, Evergy Kansas South, Evergy Metro and Evergy Missouri West have been conducting business in their respective service territories using the name Evergy. Collectively, the Evergy Companies have approximately 14,700 MWs of owned generating capacity and renewable purchased power agreements and engage in the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity to approximately 1.6 million customers in the states of Kansas and Missouri. The Evergy Companies assess financial performance and allocate resources on a consolidated basis (i.e., operate in one segment).

Strategy

Evergy expects to continue operating its integrated utilities within the currently existing regulatory frameworks. Evergy's objectives are to deliver value to shareholders through earnings and dividend growth; serve customers and communities with cost-effective, reliable and clean energy; and maintain a rewarding and challenging work environment for employees. Significant elements of Evergy's strategy to achieve these objectives include:

In March 2020, the Evergy Board announced the creation of a Strategic Review & Operations Committee that will explore ways to enhance long-term shareholder value (taking into account applicable legal and regulatory requirements and any other relevant considerations), including through a potential strategic combination or an enhanced long-term standalone operating plan and strategy. The committee is expected to complete its review and make a recommendation to Evergy's Board in the first half of 2020.

See "Cautionary Statements Regarding Certain Forward-Looking Information" and Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, for additional information.

Common Stock Repurchase Program

In July 2018, the Evergy Board authorized the repurchase of up to 60 million shares of Evergy's common stock. Evergy has utilized various methods to effectuate the share repurchase program since its authorization, including the repurchase of shares through ASR agreements and open market transactions. For 2019, Evergy had total repurchases of common stock of $1,628.7 million and had repurchased 28.8 million shares under the repurchase program. Since the start of the repurchase program in August 2018, Evergy has made total repurchases of common stock of $2,671.0 million and has repurchased 45.2 million shares under the repurchase program. Evergy does not anticipate making additional repurchases of common stock under its share repurchase program while the Strategic Review & Operations Committee of the Evergy Board conducts its review of ways to enhance long-term shareholder value, which is expected to conclude in the first half of 2020.

See Note 18 to the consolidated financial statements for more information regarding Evergy's common stock repurchase program.

Great Plains Energy and Evergy Kansas Central Merger

Evergy was incorporated in 2017 as Monarch Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Great Plains Energy. Prior to the closing of the merger transactions, Monarch Energy changed its name to Evergy and did not conduct any business activities other than those required for its formation and matters contemplated by the Amended Merger Agreement. On June 4, 2018, in accordance with the Amended Merger Agreement, Great Plains Energy merged into Evergy, with Evergy surviving the merger and King Energy merged into Evergy Kansas Central, with Evergy Kansas Central surviving the merger. These merger transactions resulted in Evergy becoming the parent entity of Evergy Kansas Central and the direct subsidiaries of Great Plains Energy, including Evergy Metro and Evergy Missouri West. As a result of the closing of the merger transactions, each outstanding share of Great Plains Energy common stock was converted into 0.5981 shares of Evergy common stock, resulting in the issuance of 128.9 million shares. Additionally, each outstanding share of Evergy Kansas Central common stock was converted into 1 share of Evergy common stock.

Evergy Kansas Central was determined to be the accounting acquirer in the merger and thus, the predecessor of Evergy. Evergy had separate operations for the period beginning with the quarter ended June 30, 2018, and references to amounts for periods after the closing of the merger relate to Evergy. The results of Great Plains

Energy's direct subsidiaries have been included in Evergy's results of operations from June 4, 2018, the date of the closing of the merger, and thereafter.

See Note 2 to the

Showing the first 8K of 97K characters. Open the full section

In the ordinary course of business, Evergy faces risks that are either non-financial or non-quantifiable. Such risks principally include business, legal, operational and credit risks and are not represented in the following analysis. See Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors and Part II, Item 7, MD&A for further discussion of risk factors.

The Evergy Companies are exposed to market risks associated with commodity price and supply, interest rates and equity prices. Commodity price risk is the potential adverse price impact related to the purchase or sale of electricity and energy-related products. Credit risk is the potential adverse financial impact resulting from non-performance by a counterparty of its contractual obligations. Interest rate risk is the potential adverse financial impact related to changes in interest rates. In addition, Evergy's investments in trusts to fund nuclear plant decommissioning and to fund non-qualified retirement benefits give rise to security price risk.

Management has established risk management policies and strategies to reduce the potentially adverse effects that the volatility of the markets may have on Evergy's operating results. During the ordinary course of business, the Evergy Companies' hedging strategies are reviewed to determine the hedging approach deemed appropriate based upon the circumstances of each situation. Though management believes its risk management practices are effective, it is not possible to identify and eliminate all risk. Evergy could experience losses, which could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations or financial position, due to many factors, including unexpectedly large or rapid movements or disruptions in the energy markets, regulatory-driven market rule changes and/or bankruptcy or non-performance of customers or counterparties, and/or failure of underlying transactions that have been hedged to materialize.

Hedging Strategies

From time to time, Evergy utilizes derivative instruments to execute risk management and hedging strategies. Derivative instruments, such as futures, forward contracts, swaps or options, derive their value from underlying assets, indices, reference rates or a combination of these factors. These derivative instruments include negotiated contracts, which are referred to as over-the-counter derivatives, and instruments listed and traded on an exchange.

Commodity Price Risk

The Evergy Companies engage in the wholesale and retail sale of electricity and are exposed to risks associated with the price of electricity and other energy-related products. Exposure to these risks is affected by a number of factors including the quantity and availability of fuel used for generation and the quantity of electricity customers consume. Customers' electricity usage could also vary from year to year based on the weather or other factors. Quantities of fossil fuel used for generation vary from year to year based on the availability, price and deliverability of a given fuel type as well as planned and unplanned outages at facilities that use fossil fuels. Evergy's exposure to fluctuations in these factors is limited by the cost-based regulation of its regulated operations in Kansas and Missouri as these operations are typically allowed to recover substantially all of these costs through cost-recovery mechanisms, primarily through fuel recovery mechanisms. While there may be a delay in timing between when these costs are incurred and when they are recovered through rates, changes from year to year generally do not have a material impact on operating results.

Interest Rate Risk

Evergy manages interest rate risk and short- and long-term liquidity by limiting its exposure to variable interest rate debt to a percentage of total debt, diversifying maturity dates and, from time to time, entering into interest rate hedging transactions. At December 31, 2019, 3% of Evergy's long-term debt was variable rate debt. Evergy also has short-term borrowings and current maturities of fixed rate debt that are exposed to interest rate risk. Evergy computes and presents information regarding the sensitivity to changes in interest rates for variable rate debt and current maturities of fixed rate debt by assuming a 100-basis-point change in the current interest rates applicable to such debt over the remaining time the debt is outstanding.

Evergy had $1,113.7 million of variable rate debt, including notes payable, commercial paper and current maturities of fixed rate debt as of December 31, 2019. A 100-basis-point change in interest rates applicable to this debt would impact income before income taxes on an annualized basis by approximately $9.9 million.

Credit Risk

Evergy is exposed to counterparty credit risk largely in the form of accounts receivable from its retail and wholesale electric customers and through executory contracts with market risk exposure. The credit risk associated with accounts receivable from retail and wholesale customers is largely mitigated by Evergy's large number of individual customers spread across diverse customer classes and the ability to recover bad debt expense in customer rates. The Evergy Companies maintain credit policies and employ credit risk control mechanisms, such as letters of credit, when necessary to minimize their overall credit risk and monitor exposure.

Investment Risk

Evergy maintains trust funds, as required by the NRC, to fund its 94% share of decommissioning the Wolf Creek nuclear power plant and also maintains trusts to fund pension benefits as well as certain non-qualified retirement benefits. As of December 31, 2019, these funds were primarily invested in a diversified mix of equity and debt securities and reflected at fair value on Evergy's balance sheet. The equity securities in the trusts are exposed to price fluctuations in equity markets and the value of debt securities are exposed to changes in interest rates and other market factors.

As nuclear decommissioning costs are currently recovered in customer rates, Evergy defers both realized and unrealized gains and losses for these securities as an offset to its regulatory asset for decommissioning Wolf Creek and as such, fluctuations in the value of these securities do not impact earnings. A significant decline in the value of pension or non-qualified retirement assets could require Evergy to increase funding of its pension plans in future periods, which could adversely affect cash flows in those periods. In addition, a decline in the fair value of these plan assets, in the absence of additional cash contributions to the plans by Evergy, could increase the amount of pension cost required to be recorded in future periods by Evergy.

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of Evergy, Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Evergy, Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income, changes in equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2019, and the related notes and the financial statement schedules listed in the Index at Item 15 (collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2019, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated March 2, 2020, expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relates

Showing the first 8K of 368K characters. Open the full section

None.

EVERGY

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Evergy carried out an evaluation of its disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). This evaluation was conducted under the supervision, and with the participation, of Evergy's management, including the chief executive officer and chief financial officer, and Evergy's disclosure committee. Based upon this evaluation, the chief executive officer and chief financial officer of Evergy have concluded as of the end of the period covered by this report that the disclosure controls and procedures of Evergy were effective at a reasonable assurance level.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There has been no change in Evergy’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that occurred during the quarterly period ended December 31, 2019, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, its internal control over financial reporting.

Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) for Evergy. Under the supervision and with the participation of Evergy’s chief executive officer and chief financial officer, management evaluated the effectiveness of Evergy’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019. Management used for this evaluation the framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) of the Treadway Commission.

Because of the inherent limitations of internal control over financial reporting, including the possibility of collusion or improper override of controls, material misstatements due to error or fraud may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation. Also, projections of any evaluation of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting to future periods are subject to the risk that the controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2019, Evergy’s internal control over financial reporting is effective based on the criteria set forth in the COSO framework. Deloitte & Touche LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm that audited the financial statements included in this annual report on Form 10-K, has issued its attestation report on Evergy’s internal control over financial reporting, which is included below.

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of Evergy, Inc.

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Evergy, Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedules as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019, of the Company and our report dated March 2, 2020, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements and financial statement schedules.

Basis for Opinion

The Company's management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Kansas City, Missouri

March 2, 2020

EVERGY KANSAS CENTRAL

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Evergy Kansas Central carried out an evaluation of its disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). This evaluation was conducted under the supervision, and with the participation, of Evergy Kansas Central's management, including the chief executive officer and chief financial officer, and Evergy Kansas Central's disclosure committee. Based upon this evaluation, the chief executive officer and chief financial officer of Evergy Kansas Central have concluded as of the end of the period covered by this report that the disclosure controls and procedures of Evergy Kansas Central were effective at a reasonable assurance level.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There has been no change in Evergy Kansas Central's internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that occurred during the quarterly period ended December 31, 2019, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, its internal control over financial reporting.

Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) for Evergy Kansas Central. Under the supervision and with the participation of Evergy Kansas Central’s chief executive officer and chief financial officer, management evaluated the effectiveness of Evergy Kansas Central’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019. Management used for this evaluation the framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO of the Treadway Commission.

Because of the inherent limitations of internal control over financial reporting, including the possibility of collusion or improper override of controls, material misstatements due to error or fraud may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation. Also, projections of any evaluation of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting to future periods are subject to the risk that the controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2019, Evergy Kansas Central’s internal control over financial reporting is effective based on the criteria set forth in the COSO framework.

EVERGY METRO

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Evergy Metro carried out an evaluation of its disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). This evaluation was conducted under the supervision, and with the participation, of Evergy Metro's management, including the chief executive officer and chief financial officer, and Evergy Metro's disclosure committee. Based upon this evaluation, the chief executive officer and chief financial officer of Evergy Metro have concluded as of the end of the period covered by this report that the disclosure controls and procedures of Evergy Metro were effective at a reasonable assurance level.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There has been no change in Evergy Metro's internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that occurred during the quarterly period ended December 31, 2019, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, its internal control over financial reporting.

Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) for Evergy Metro. Under the supervision and with the participation of Evergy Metro’s chief executive officer and chief financial officer, management evaluated the effectiveness of Evergy Metro’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019. Management

used for this evaluation the framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO of the Treadway Commission.

Because of the inherent limitations of internal control over financial reporting, including the possibility of collusion or improper override of controls, material misstatements due to error or fraud may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation. Also, projections of any evaluation of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting to future periods are subject to the risk that the controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2019, Evergy Metro’s internal control over financial reporting is effective based on the criteria set forth in the COSO framework.

Investors should note that the Evergy Companies announce material financial information in SEC filings, press releases and public conference calls. In accordance with SEC guidelines, the Evergy Companies also use the Investor Relations tab on their website, www.evergy.com, to communicate with investors. It is possible that the financial and other information posted there could be deemed to be material information. The information on Evergy's website is not part of this document.

PART III

Information required by Items 10-14 of Part III of this Form 10-K with respect to Evergy will be included in an amendment to this Form 10-K, or incorporated by reference to Evergy's definitive proxy statement with respect to its 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (Proxy Statement) on or before April 29, 2020.

Evergy

The information required by this item will be included in an amendment to this Form 10-K or will be incorporated by reference from the following sections of the Proxy Statement:

Information required by this item regarding Evergy's executive officers is contained in this report in Part I, Item 1 in "Information About Evergy's Executive Officers."

Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Metro

Other information required by this item regarding Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Metro has been omitted in reliance on General Instruction (I) to Form 10-K.

Evergy

The information required by this item will be included in an amendment to this Form 10-K or will be incorporated by reference to the following sections of the Proxy Statement: "Executive Compensation," "Director Compensation," "Compensation Discussion and Analysis," "Compensation Committee Report" and "Director Independence - Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation."

Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Metro

Other information required by this item regarding Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Metro has been omitted in reliance on General Instruction (I) to Form 10-K.

Evergy

The information required by this item regarding security ownership of the directors and executive officers of Evergy will be included in an amendment to this Form 10-K or will be incorporated by reference to the "Security Ownership of Directors, Management and Beneficial Owners" section of the Proxy Statement.

Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Metro

The information required by this item regarding Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Metro has been omitted in reliance on General Instruction (I) to Form 10-K.

Equity Compensation Plans

Upon the consummation of the merger, Evergy assumed both Evergy Kansas Central's LTISA and Great Plains Energy's Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan, which was renamed the Evergy, Inc. Long-Term Incentive Plan. The renamed Evergy Long-Term Incentive Plan permits the grant of restricted stock, restricted stock units, bonus shares, stock options, stock appreciation rights, director shares, director deferred share units, performance shares and other stock-based awards to directors, officers and other employees of Evergy.

The following table provides information, as of December 31, 2019, regarding the number of common shares to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights, their weighted average exercise price, and the number of shares of common stock remaining available for future issuance. The table excludes shares issued or issuable under any defined contribution savings plans.

(1)The Evergy Kansas Central, Inc. Long-Term Incentive and Share Award Plan will not be used for future awards. As of December 31, 2019, there were approximately 87,126 RSUs with only service requirements outstanding under the plan, and approximately 360,368 units outstanding that were deferred pursuant to the Evergy Kansas Central, Inc. non-employee deferred compensation program. Deferred units will continue to receive deferred dividend equivalents in the form of additional deferred units until payouts pursuant to elections begin.

(2)Includes 228,256 performance shares at target performance levels, 146,224 RSUs with only service requirements, 197,250 RSUs with performance measures and director deferred share units for 101,590 shares of Evergy common stock outstanding at December 31, 2019.

(3)The performance shares, RSUs and director deferred share units have no exercise price and therefore are not reflected in the weighted-average exercise price.

Evergy

The information required by this item will be included in an amendment to this Form 10-K or will be incorporated by reference to the "Director Independence" and "Related Party Transactions" sections of the Proxy Statement.

Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Metro

The information required by this item regarding Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Metro has been omitted in reliance on General Instruction (I) to Form 10-K.

Evergy

The information required by this item regarding the independent auditors of Evergy and its subsidiaries will be included in an amendment to this Form 10-K or will be incorporated by reference to the "Ratification of Appointment of Independent Auditors" section of the Proxy Statement.

Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Metro

The Audit Committee of the Evergy Board functions as the Audit Committee of Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Metro. The following tables set forth the aggregate fees billed by Deloitte & Touche LLP for audit services rendered in connection with the consolidated financial statements and reports for 2019 and 2018 and for other services rendered during 2019 and 2018 on behalf of Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Metro, as well as all out-of-pocket costs incurred in connection with these services:

Audit Fees: Consists of fees billed for professional services rendered for the audits of the annual consolidated financial statements of Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Metro and reviews of the interim condensed consolidated financial statements included in quarterly reports. Audit fees also include: services provided by Deloitte & Touche LLP in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements; audit reports on audits of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting and other attest services, except those not required by statute or

regulation; services related to filings with the SEC, including comfort letters, consents and assistance with and review of documents filed with the SEC; and accounting research in support of the audit.

Audit-Related Fees: Consists of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of consolidated financial statements of Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Metro and are not reported under "Audit Fees." These services include consultation concerning financial accounting and reporting standards.

Tax Fees: Consists of fees billed for tax compliance and related support of tax returns and other tax services, including assistance with tax audits, and tax research and planning.

All Other Fees: Consists of fees for all other services other than those described above.

Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Audit and Permissible Non-Audit Services

The Audit Committee has adopted policies and procedures for the pre-approval of all audit services, audit-related services, tax services and other services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm for Evergy Kansas Central and Evergy Metro. Under these policies and procedures, the Audit Committee may pre-approve certain types of services, up to the aggregate fee levels it sets. Any proposed service within a pre-approved type of service that would cause the applicable fee level to be exceeded cannot be provided unless the Audit Committee either amends the applicable fee level or specifically approves the proposed service. The Audit Committee, as well, may specifically approve audit, audit-related, tax or other services on a case-by-case basis. Pre-approval is generally provided for up to one year, unless the Audit Committee specifically provides for a different period. Management provides quarterly updates to the Audit Committee regarding actual fees spent with respect to pre-approved services. The Chair of the Audit Committee may pre-approve audit, audit-related, tax and other services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm as required between meetings and report such pre-approval at the next Audit Committee meeting.

PART IV

Financial Statements

Financial Statement Schedules

Exhibits

Showing the first 8K of 76K characters. Open the full section