Business Profile

STATEMENT OF BUSINESS: As a not-for-profit, wholesale, electric generation and transmission utility, Sunflower Electric Power Corporation is owned and governed by six Member distribution cooperatives who now serve 400,000 people in central and western Kansas. Joining together in 1957 enabled the six distribution systems to provide affordable, reliable power to customers in 34 western Kansas counties. In 2007, the distribution systems formed Mid-Kansas Electric Company, LLC, by acquiring the assets of the Kansas Electric Network of Aquila, Inc. This acquisition added 21 counties to their service territories.

FACILITIES/WORK FORCE: Sunflower is headquartered in Hays, Kansas, in the former St. Anthony’s Hospital building. Dedicated in 1931, for 41 years the structure now owned by Sunflower served northwest Kansas until the hospital was relocated on the east side of Hays. From 1972 to 1982, the former hospital building was unused. Then in 1982, the Sunflower Board of Trustees purchased and renovated the building for the new headquarters. The decision to refurbish the Hays landmark versus erecting a new building saved the corporation over $2 million.

The Sunflower workforce at its six generating stations and outer lying offices, along with staff at the Hays location, totals 349.

GAS-FIRED GENERATING CAPACITY: Sunflower and Mid-Kansas own and operate Cimarron River Station is located near Liberal, Kansas, and consisting of two units that total 77 megawatts; Clifton Station, consisting of one 68-megawatt unit near Clifton, Kansas; Fort Dodge Station, consisting of one 145-megawatt unit near Dodge City, Kansas; Garden City Station is located in Garden City, Kansas, and consisting of five units that total 225 megawatts; and Great Bend Station, consisting of one 99-megawatt unit near Great Bend, Kansas.

COAL-FIRED GENERATING CAPACITY: Sunflower owns and operates Holcomb Station, a 360-megawatt near Holcomb Station.

CONTRACTED CAPACITY: Sunflower is contracted to purchase annually 177 megawatts of coal-fired power from Jeffrey Energy Center, located near St. Marys, Kansas. Sunflower also annually purchases 74.4 megawatts of power from the Smoky Hills Wind Farm, located near Lincoln, Kansas, and 50 megawatts of power from the Gray County Wind Farm, located near Montezuma, Kansas.

TRANSMISSION SYSTEM: Sunflower and Mid-Kansas own and operate approximately 2,300 miles of transmission line and 76 substations.

2007 SYSTEM PEAK: The Sunflower system set a new all-time peak at 504 megawatts in July, surpassing the 200 all-time high of 457 megawatts.