Utility Merger Vote Postponed

Following a court setback, Kansas City Power & Light Co. has postponed a special shareholders’ meeting that had been scheduled for Wednesday on its proposed merger with UtiliCorp United Inc.

KCPL said Monday that the Securities and Exchange Commission had ordered it to notify shareholders of a federal court ruling last week that changed the margin of approval necessary for the merger to succeed.

No new meeting date was set.

KCPL and UtiliCorp first announced plans to merge in January. But those plans were put in doubt when a competing utility, Western Resources Inc. of Topeka, Kan., launched a rival bid valued at $1.9 billion.