Exhibit 5(a)


                         [Letterhead of Anderson & Byrd]





                                                   October 6, 2005



The Empire District Electric Company
602 Joplin Street
Joplin, Missouri  64801

         Re:      SEC Registration Statement on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     We are acting as counsel for The Empire District Electric Company, a Kansas
corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the registration under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), pursuant to the Company's
Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement"), of up to
$400,000,000 principal amount of shares of the Company's Common Stock, par value
$1.00 (the "New Common Stock"), and the related Preference Stock Purchase Rights
(the "Rights") and/or shares of the Company's Preference Stock, no par value
(the "New Preference Stock") and/or one or more series of the Company's
unsecured debt securities (the "New Debt Securities") and/or one or more series
of the Company's First Mortgage Bonds.

     The New Debt Securities are to be issued under the indenture dated
September 10, 1999 (the "Indenture") between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank,
National Association (as successor by merger to Norwest Bank Minnesota, National
Association), as trustee, which may hereafter be supplemented by one or more
Securities Resolutions (as defined in the Indenture) creating each series of New
Debt Securities (a form of which is filed as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement).

     We advise you that in our opinion:

     1. The Company is a corporation duly organized and validly existing under
the laws of the State of Kansas.








     2. The New Common Stock and/or the New Preference Stock will have been duly
authorized, legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable under Kansas law when
(i) the Registration Statement has become effective under the Act, (ii) the
Board of Directors of the Company has adopted the appropriate resolutions, (iii)
a Certificate of Designation with respect to the New Preference Stock, in the
form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, is filed and recorded in
accordance with the Kansas General Corporation Code, (iv) the State Corporation
Commission of the State of Kansas has issued its order authorizing the issuance
and sale of the New Common Stock and/or the New Preference Stock, and (v) the
New Common Stock and/or the New Preference Stock has been sold by the Company
for cash at a price approved by the Board of Directors.

     3. The New Debt Securities will have been duly authorized and legally
issued and under Kansas law, will constitute binding obligations of the Company
when (i) the Registration Statement has become effective under the Act, (ii) the
Board of Directors of the Company and/or the authorized officers have adopted
the appropriate resolutions, (iii) the Securities Resolution, if in the form of
a supplemental indenture, has been duly executed and delivered, or, if in the
form of a resolution, has been duly adopted, (iv) the State Corporation
Commission of the State of Kansas has issued its order authorizing the issuance
and sale of the New Debt Securities and (v) the New Debt Securities have been
duly issued in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and the
Securities Resolution relating thereto and sold by the Company for cash at a
price approved by the Board of Directors.

     4. The issuance of the Rights has been validly authorized by all necessary
corporation action on the part of the Company and, when issued in accordance
with the Rights Agreement, dated July 26, 2000, as amended, between the Company
and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Rights Agent, will be validly
issued.

     We hereby consent to the use of a copy of this opinion as an exhibit to
said Registration Statement. We also consent to the use of our name and the
making of the statements with respect to our firm in the Registration Statement
and the Prospectus constituting a part thereof.

                                           Sincerely,


                                           /s/ Daniel D. Covington
                                           ------------------------------
                                           Daniel D. Covington
                                           dancovington@abrfh.com