Exhibit 12

WESTAR ENERGY, INC.

Computations of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and

Computations of Ratio of Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges

and Preferred Dividend Requirements

(Dollars in Thousands)

	Year Ended December 31,
	2003		2002		2001		2000		1999
Earnings from continuing operations (a)	$	162,812	$	78,528	$	48,224	$	166,612	$	67,034
Fixed Charges:
Interest expense		225,901		237,418		224,777		296,984		209,532
Interest on corporate-owned life insurance borrowings		52,839		52,768		50,409		45,634		36,908
Interest applicable to rentals		23,084		24,647		30,377		29,377		30,853
Total Fixed Charges		301,824		314,833		305,563		371,995		277,293
Distributed income of equity investees		—		2,916		2,769		2,686		3,728
Preferred Dividend Requirements:
Preferred dividends (b)		968		399		895		1,129		1,129
Income tax required		639		264		591		746		746
Total Preferred Dividend Requirements		1,607		663		1,486		1,875		1,875
Total Fixed Charges and Preferred Dividend Requirements		303,431		315,496		307,049		373,870		279,168
Earnings (c)	$	464,636	$	396,277	$	356,556	$	541,293	$	348,055
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges		1.54		1.26		1.17		1.46		1.26
Ratio of Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges and Preferred Dividend Requirements		1.53		1.26		1.16		1.45		1.25

(a) Earnings from continuing operations consist of income from continuing operations before income taxes, cumulative effects of accounting changes and preferred dividends adjusted for undistributed earnings from equity investees.

(b) Preferred dividend requirements consist of an amount equal to the pre-tax earnings that would be required to meet dividend requirements on preferred stock.

(c) Earnings are deemed to consist of earnings from continuing operations, fixed charges and distributed income of equity investees. Fixed charges consist of all interest on indebtedness, amortization of debt discount and expense, and the portion of rental expense that represents an interest factor.