Exhibit 99.1

                          KANSAS CORPORATION COMMISSION

News Release

July 20, 2001

KCC orders Western Resources to permanently halt corporate restructuring
restructuring plans found to be harmful to public interest

TOPEKA, Kansas - The Kansas Corporation Commission today issued an order
confirming and making permanent its May 22, 2001 order stating that the asset
allocation agreement between Western Resources Inc. (Western Resources) and its
wholly owned subsidiary, Westar Industries, Inc. (Westar) is contrary to the
public interest. In its order, the Commission determined the current
restructuring plan would cause irreparable harm and impair the company's ability
to fulfill its obligations as a public utility to provide safe and reliable
electric service at fair and reasonable rates.

The Commission further ordered Western Resources and its subsidiary, Westar not
to take any action or enter into any agreement which would directly or
indirectly increase the share of debt in the utility company's capital
structure. Western Resources is to present a plan within 90 days, consistent
with parameters established by the Commission's order, to restore Western
Resources to financial health, to achieve a balanced capital structure and to
protect ratepayers from the risks of the company's non-utility businesses.

The asset allocation agreement is an integral part of the companies' corporate
restructuring plans and rights offering to separate the regulated utility
companies from the unregulated investments of Western Resources, which has been
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Western Resources' KPL Division (KPL) and its wholly owned subsidiary Kansas Gas
and Electric Company (KGE) are regulated utility companies and provide retail
electric service to approximately 636,000 customers. Westar Industries is
currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Western Resources. Westar holds all of
the unregulated investments of Western Resources including Protection One,
Protection One Europe, OneOK, Westar Generating, and various international power
projects.

Release No. 01-12

Docket No. 01-WSRE-949-GIE