Kansas-based utility Westar celebrates centennial
KANSAS - Westar Energy Inc. has turned 100.
It held receptions at all its Kansas offices to celebrate a century of providing electric service in the state. The utility got its start on December 11, 1909, when the American Power and Light Co. incorporated Kansas Gas and Electric Co. to operate south and southeast Kansas properties owned by Electric Bond and Share.
The Kansas Power and Light Co. was incorporated in 1924 to serve north and northeast Kansas.
The two operations merged in 1992, but continued to operate as KGE and KPL until 2002, when Western Resources became Westar Energy.
Westar Energy serves more than 684,000 customers in 55 counties.
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Fire in manhole leaves thousands of Hydro-Québec customers without power
MONTREAL - Hydro-Québec says a power outage affecting Montreal is connected to an underground explosion and a fire in a manhole in Rosemont—La Petite–Patrie.
The fire started in underground pipes belonging to Hydro-Québec on Bélanger Street between Boyer and Saint-André streets, according to Montreal firefighters, who arrived on the scene at 12:18 p.m.
The electricity had to be cut so that firefighters could get into the manhole where the equipment was located.
At the peak of the shutdown, nearly 41,000 customers were without power. As of 7:00 p.m., 10,981 clients still had no power.
Hydro-Québec spokesperson Louis-Olivier Batty said the utility is being strategic about how it restores power.
Because of the cold, it anticipates that…
