Westar Energy CEO announces retirement


NFPA 70b Training - Electrical Maintenance

Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.

  • Live Online
  • 12 hours Instructor-led
  • Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$699
Coupon Price:
$599
Reserve Your Seat Today
Jim Haines, a rural Lawrence resident who helped lead Westar Energy Inc. out of debt, is retiring in June as the utility's chief executive officer.

Haines will be replaced by William Moore, Westar's president and chief operating officer, who has worked at the company during all but two of the past 29 years. "We are confident that the company will continue to succeed under Bill's leadership," Charles Q. Chandler IV, Westar's chairman, said in a statement.

"The board also thanks Jim Haines for his great leadership and unwavering commitment to Westar's succes ." Haines originally left retirement in 2002 to become CEO. At the time, Westar's stock was at $8.50 a share, the company had debt of $3.6 billion and the operation was wrapping up a year in which it would lose $793.4 million, or $11.06 cents a share.

Under Haines' leadership, Westar soon sold Protection One Inc. - a monitored-security company that later moved to Lawrence - as well as Westar's stake in ONEOK, an Oklahoma natural gas company. The moves were designed to cut debt and focus on Westar's core purpose: generating electricity. Last year, Westar reported $164.3 million in profit, good for $1.88 per share, on revenues of $1.61 billion, up $53.1 million from a year earlier.

"We are no longer focused on solving past problems," Haines said Wednesday in a letter to employees. "Now, from a solid base, we are focused on turning tomorrow's challenges into opportunities." Westar, which recently broke ground on a $318 million peaking plant at the Emporia Energy Center, is the state's largest electric utility, providing service to about 669,000 customers.

A total of 160 of its 2,200 employees work in Lawrence.

Related News

Ontario's electricity operator kept quiet about phantom demand that cost customers millions

IESO Fictitious Demand Error inflated HOEP in the Ontario electricity market, after embedded generation was…
View more

Independent power project announced by B.C. Hydro now in limbo

Siwash Creek Hydroelectric Project faces downsizing under a BC Hydro power purchase agreement, with run-of-river…
View more

Latvia eyes electricity from Belarus nuclear plant

Latvia Astravets electricity imports weigh AST purchases from the Belarusian nuclear plant, impacting the Baltic…
View more

Washington County planning officials develop proposed recommendations for solar farms

Washington County solar farm incentives aim to steer projects to industrial sites with tax breaks,…
View more

Southern California Edison Faces Lawsuits Over Role in California Wildfires

SCE Wildfire Lawsuits allege utility equipment and power lines sparked deadly Los Angeles blazes; investigations,…
View more

Covid-19 puts brake on Turkey’s solar sector

Turkey Net Metering Suspension freezes regulator reviews, stalling rooftop solar permits and grid interconnections amid…
View more

Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter

Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.

Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE

Stay informed with the latest T&D policies and technologies.
  • Timely insights from industry experts
  • Practical solutions T&D engineers
  • Free access to every issue

Live Online & In-person Group Training

Advantages To Instructor-Led Training – Instructor-Led Course, Customized Training, Multiple Locations, Economical, CEU Credits, Course Discounts.

Request For Quotation

Whether you would prefer Live Online or In-Person instruction, our electrical training courses can be tailored to meet your company's specific requirements and delivered to your employees in one location or at various locations.