Executive Report

The year 2008 will not soon be forgotten, a year headlined by a marathon presidential campaign eventually won by President Barack Obama and the financial devastation on Wall Street. So too was it a notable year at Sunflower, entailing both remarkable accomplishments and disappointing setbacks.

Sunflower set two new system peaks during the summer months, a result of both increased production in the oil and gas industry and a switch from natural gas to electric irrigation. Increased demands by our Members’ customers continue to be a part of our generation resource study, ensuring that our generation assets can meet their short-term and long-term needs.

Our efforts to construct the Holcomb Expansion Project for additional base load generation was impeded by the governor’s vetoes of the comprehensive energy bill, but in the course of the legislative session, we were also emboldened by the bi-partisan support received from across the state. While this endeavor has been labor intensive and sometimes discouraging, we continue to push forward since research shows the project is in the best interest of our Member-Owners.

While Sunflower experienced sales growth in 2008, we were also faced with generation and transmission challenges. We experienced a substantial increase in fuel and purchased power expenses and were hampered by a competing project in our efforts to build a high-voltage transmission line in south-central Kansas.

But even during tumultuous times, we continued in our goal to find better ways to serve our Member-Owners. This is a direct reflection of the principle, passion and purpose demonstrated by our Member cooperatives, Board of Directors, and employees. Day in and day out, they never lost sight of our mission: generating electricity so that the lights stay on in central and western Kansas.