UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                              Washington, DC 20549



                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

       Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): February 2, 2000



                              KENETECH CORPORATION
             (Exact Name of registrant as specified in its charter)


                                    Delaware
                 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)


        33-53132                                                94-3009803
 (Commission File Number)                                   (I.R.S. Employer
                                                           Identification No.)


  500 Sansome Street, Suite 410
  San Francisco, California                                       94111
(Address of principal executive offices)                       (Zip Code)


                                 (415) 398-3825
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)








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Item 5.  Other Events.

     On February 2, 2000,  plaintiffs  Robert L. Kohls and Louise A. Kohls filed
two  actions in the Court of  Chancery  of the State of  Delaware In and For New
Castle County, against defendants KENETECH Corporation (the "Registrant"), Angus
M. Duthie, Mark D. Lerdal, Gerald R. Alderson and Charles Christenson.

     Plaintiffs allege that they were beneficial owners of Preferred  Redeemable
Increased  Dividend  Equity  Securities,  8-1/4% PRIDES,  Convertible  Preferred
Stock,  par  value  $0.01 per  share  (the  "PRIDES")  of the  Registrant,  that
mandatorily converted, on May 14, 1998, into common stock, par value $0.0001 per
share ("Common Stock"), of the Company.

     The first action is purportedly  brought as a class action on behalf of the
named  plaintiffs and all other persons who owned the PRIDES as of May 13, 1998,
and plaintiffs allege, among other things, that defendants breached the terms of
the   Registrant's   Certificate  of  Designations,   Preferences,   Rights  and
Limitations under which the PRIDES were issued and breached their fiduciary duty
to protect  the  interests  of the  holders  of the  PRIDES  prior to the PRIDES
mandatory conversion.  Plaintiffs are seeking, among other things, certification
of the action as a class action and a declaration that the holders of PRIDES are
entitled to be paid a  liquidation  preference  of up to $1,012.50  per share of
PRIDES  or, in the  alternative,  a  judgment  in the  amount  that  would  have
otherwise been attributed to the PRIDES up to $1,012.50 per share.

     The second action is purportedly  brought as a derivative  action on behalf
of the  Registrant  and  plaintiffs  generally  allege that the  purchase of the
Registrant's  Common  Stock by defendant  Mark D. Lerdal in December  1997 was a
corporate  opportunity  and that such  Common  Stock  should  have been  instead
purchased by the  Registrant.  Plaintiffs  are seeking,  among other  things,  a
declaration   that  the  purchase  of  the  Common  Stock  by  defendant  Lerdal
constituted  the taking of a corporate  opportunity  and is null and void and an
order requiring  Defendant Lerdal to transfer the Common Stock to the Registrant
for the  consideration  he paid or, to the extent  the  Common  Stock may not be
transferred to the Registrant, damages for the fair value of the Common Stock.

     The Registrant intends to vigorously defend each of these actions.

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                       KENETECH Corporation
                                       (Registrant)




Date:   February 3, 2000               By: _________________________________
                                           Mark D. Lerdal
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer



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