Bob Holzwarth Named CEO of UtiliCorp's Canadian Network Operations.

Business Editors

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 2, 2000

The appointment of Robert W. Holzwarth as chief executive officer of Canadian network operations for UtiliCorp United (NYSE: UCU) was announced today by Robert K. Green, president and chief operating officer of UtiliCorp.

Reporting to Green, Holzwarth will be based in Calgary, Alberta, and have responsibility for all Canadian energy network operations and the development of future UtiliCorp business opportunities in Canada.

Holzwarth has been vice president and general manager of UtiliCorp's power supply operations since 1997. In this capacity he was responsible for managing all of the company's U.S. regulated electricity generation and the support functions of purchased power, generation dispatch, energy trading and wholesale customer service.

"Bob's solid utility experience typifies the deep bench strength on our management team, and in this new position he will assure continuing quality service to our Canadian customers as we pursue growth strategies in other provinces," said Green.

With a growth target of 1 million customers in Canada over the next few years, UtiliCorp presently owns and operates West Kootenay Power, a British Columbia hydroelectric utility with 135,000 customers, and earlier this month announced the US$450 million acquisition of TransAlta Corp.'s electric distribution and retail business with some 350,000 customers in Alberta. Subject to regulatory approvals, the transaction is expected to be completed later this year.

Aquila Canada Corp., another wholly owned UtiliCorp subsidiary based in Calgary, markets natural gas and electricity to industrial and wholesale customers. The company presently is the second-largest gas marketer in Canada.

Holzwarth previously served as vice president-generation and director-power production in charge of UtiliCorp's power generation activities in Missouri, Kansas and Colorado. Before joining the company in 1993, he was general manager of power and water with the Ralph M. Parsons Company on assignment in Saudi Arabia.

Earlier in his career he held management assignments with local utility operations in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and Colorado. Prior to that he served six years in the U.S. Navy's nuclear submarine program.

Holzwarth has a bachelor's degree in technical management from the Denver Technical College. He is a member of the Southwest Power Pool Production Committee and the Edison Electric Institute Generation Subcommittee, and serves on the board of directors of the Rocky Mountain Electrical League.

Based in Kansas City, UtiliCorp United is an international energy company with about 4 million customers across the United States and in Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia. Its Aquila Energy subsidiary is ranked the second-largest wholesaler of electricity and third-largest wholesaler of natural gas in North America. Aquila also provides wholesale energy services in the U.K. and in 1999 established a presence in Scandinavia, Germany and Spain. At December 31, 1999, UtiliCorp had $7.5 billion in assets and 12-month sales of $18.6 billion.