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Goodwill and Intangible Assets
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]  
Goodwill and Intangible Assets [Text Block]
6. GOODWILL
Accounting rules require goodwill to be tested for impairment annually and when an event occurs indicating the possibility that an impairment exists. The annual impairment test for the $169.0 million of GMO acquisition goodwill was conducted on September 1, 2014. The goodwill impairment test is a two step process. The first step compares the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying amount, including goodwill, to identify potential impairment. If the carrying amount exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, the second step of the test is performed, consisting of assignment of the reporting unit's fair value to its assets and liabilities to determine an implied fair value of goodwill, which is compared to the carrying amount of goodwill to determine the impairment loss, if any, to be recognized in the financial statements. Great Plains Energy's regulated electric utility operations are considered one reporting unit for assessment of impairment, as they are included within the same operating segment and have similar economic characteristics. The determination of fair value of the reporting unit consisted of two valuation techniques: an income approach consisting of a discounted cash flow analysis and a market approach consisting of a determination of reporting unit invested capital using market multiples derived from the historical revenue, EBITDA and net utility asset values and market prices of stock of electric and gas company regulated peers. The results of the two techniques were evaluated and weighted to determine a point within the range that management considered representative of fair value for the reporting unit. Fair value of the reporting unit exceeded the carrying amount, including goodwill; therefore, there was no impairment of goodwill.