16. VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES

In determining the primary beneficiary of a VIE, the Evergy Companies assess the entity's purpose and design, including the nature of the entity's activities and the risks that the entity was designed to create and pass through to its variable interest holders. A reporting enterprise is deemed to be the primary beneficiary of a VIE if it has (a) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE's economic performance and (b) the obligation to absorb losses or right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is required to consolidate the VIE. The trust holding an 8% interest in Jeffrey Energy Center was a VIE until the expiration of a purchase option in July 2017. The trust holding KGE's 50% interest in La Cygne Unit 2 is a VIE and KGE remains the primary beneficiary of the trust.

All involvement with entities by the Evergy Companies is assessed to determine whether such entities are VIEs and, if so, whether or not the Evergy Companies are the primary beneficiaries of the entities. The Evergy Companies also continuously assess whether they are the primary beneficiary of the VIE with which they are involved. Prospective changes in facts and circumstances may cause identification of the primary beneficiary to be reconsidered.

8% Interest in Jeffrey Energy Center

Under an agreement that expires in January 2019, Westar Energy leases an 8% interest in Jeffrey Energy Center from a trust. The trust was financed with an equity contribution from an owner participant and debt issued by the trust. The trust was created specifically to purchase the 8% interest in Jeffrey Energy Center and lease it to a third party, and does not hold any other assets. Westar Energy met the requirements to be considered the primary beneficiary of the trust until July 2017, when a contractual option to purchase the 8% interest in the plant covered by the lease expired. Accordingly, Westar Energy deconsolidated the trust in the third quarter of 2017.

50% Interest in La Cygne Unit 2

Under an agreement that expires in September 2029, KGE entered into a sale-leaseback transaction with a trust under which the trust purchased KGE's 50% interest in La Cygne Unit 2 and subsequently leased it back to KGE. The trust was financed with an equity contribution from an owner participant and debt issued by the trust. The trust was created specifically to purchase the 50% interest in La Cygne Unit 2 and lease it back to KGE, and does not hold any other assets. KGE meets the requirements to be considered the primary beneficiary of the trust. In determining the primary beneficiary of the trust, KGE concluded that the activities of the trust that most significantly impact its economic performance and that KGE has the power to direct include (1) the operation and maintenance of the 50% interest in La Cygne Unit 2 and (2) KGE's ability to exercise a purchase option at the end of the agreement at the lesser of fair value or a fixed amount. KGE has the potential to receive benefits from the trust that could potentially be significant if the fair value of the 50% interest in La Cygne Unit 2 at the end of the agreement is greater than the fixed amount.

The following table summarizes the assets and liabilities related to the VIE described above that are recorded on Evergy's and Westar Energy's consolidated balance sheets.



	September 30		December 31
	2018		2017
Assets:	(millions)
Property, plant and equipment of variable interest entities, net	$	170.9	$	176.3
Liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt of variable interest entities	$	30.3	$	28.5
Accrued interest^(a)	—		0.7
Long-term debt of variable interest entities, net	51.1		81.4


^(a)	Included in accrued interest on Evergy's and Westar Energy's consolidated balance sheets.

All of the liabilities noted in the table above relate to the purchase of the property, plant and equipment of the VIE. The assets of the VIE can be used only to settle obligations of the VIE and the VIE's debt holders have no recourse to the general credit of Evergy and Westar Energy. Evergy and Westar Energy have not provided financial or other support to the VIE and are not required to provide such support. Evergy and Westar Energy did not record any gain or loss upon the initial consolidation of the VIE.