The Empire District Electric Company (railcar reporting mark: EDEX) is an investor-owned utility providing electric, natural gas (through its wholly owned subsidiary The Empire District Gas Company), and water service with approximately 215,000 customers in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. A subsidiary of the company also provides fiber optic services.
History
Empire was organized in 1909, although tracing its history goes back beyond the turn of the century as the mining industry grew in the service area. As mining companies were created, electric motors began to replace the mule and steam powered engines in several of the mines.
On October 16, 1909, papers of incorporation were filed in Topeka, Kansas, bringing together several small companies to form The Empire District Electric Company, under its parent company, Cities Services.
At the time of its organization, Empire had 109 miles of transmission line, 8 megawatts of generating capacity, and 2,400 customers. Today, the Company utilizes over 1,200 miles of transmission line and over 1,300 megawatts of owned capacity to serve over 165,000 electric customers.
Empire also provides both water and natural gas service to customers in Missouri. Empire Water Company was created in 1926 and meets the needs of approximately 4,500 customers.
In 2006, Empire acquired natural gas distribution rights and created The Empire District Gas Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Empire District Electric Company. Empire District Gas serves over 45,000 customers.
Additionally, in an effort to help customers control their energy usage, Empire offers a variety of energy efficiency programs in each state.