The Empire District Electric Company Files Arkansas Environmental Cost Recovery Rider

The Empire District Electric Company (NYSE:EDE) announced today that it has filed a request with the Arkansas Public Service Commission to implement an Environmental Cost Recovery Rider for costs associated with new environmental facilities installed at the Asbury Power Plant.

The Environmental Rider takes effect today, the day the Rider is filed, and is subject to refund if costs are found not to be prudent by the Arkansas Public Service Commission. The Rider will result in an increase of approximately $3.93 a month for residential Arkansas customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of energy. Empire has approximately 4,400 customers in Arkansas.

In making the announcement, Brad Beecher, president and CEO, stated, “We filed this Environmental Rider to begin recovery of the costs we have incurred to comply with environmental rules and regulations issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that govern the continued operation of our Asbury generating unit. We have installed an Air Quality Control System to control sulfur dioxide, mercury and particulate matter. The environmental improvements we have made at Asbury will allow us to continue to provide reliable service to our customers with a balanced mix of resources.”

Based in Joplin, Missouri, The Empire District Electric Company (NYSE: EDE) is an investor-owned, regulated utility providing electric, natural gas (through its wholly owned subsidiary The Empire District Gas Company), and water service, with approximately 218,000 customers in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. A subsidiary of the Company also provides fiber optic services. For more information regarding Empire, visit www.empiredistrict.com.

Certain matters discussed in this press release are “forward-looking statements” intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements address future plans, objectives, expectations, earnings, and events or conditions concerning various matters. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements, by reason of the factors noted in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including the most recent Form 10-K.

The Empire District Electric CompanyMedia Communications:Julie Maus, 417-625-5101Manager of Media [e-mail] Relations:Dale Harrington, 417-625-4222Director of Investor [e-mail]