Statements made in this proxy statement that are not based on historical facts are forward-looking, may involve risks and uncertainties, and are intended to be as of the date when made. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to Evergy’s strategic plan, including, without limitation, those related to earnings per share, dividend, operating and maintenance expense and capital investment goals; the outcome of legislative efforts and regulatory and legal proceedings; future energy demand; future power prices; plans with respect to existing and potential future generation resources; the availability and cost of generation resources and energy storage; target emissions reductions; and other matters relating to expected financial performance or affecting future operations. Forward-looking statements are often accompanied by forward-looking words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “estimates,” “forecasts,” “should,” “could,” “may,” “seeks,” “intends,” “proposed,” “projects,” “planned,” “target,” “outlook,” “remain confident,” “goal,” “will” or other words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information.

In connection with the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Evergy, Inc., Evergy Kansas Central, Inc. and Evergy Metro, Inc. (collectively the “Evergy Companies”) are providing a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking information. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to: economic and weather conditions and any impact on sales, prices and costs; changes in business strategy or operations; the impact of federal, state and local political, legislative, judicial and regulatory actions or developments, including deregulation, re-regulation, securitization and restructuring of the electric utility industry; decisions of regulators regarding, among other things, customer rates and the prudency of operational decisions such as capital expenditures and asset retirements; changes in applicable laws, regulations, rules, principles or practices, or the interpretations thereof, governing tax, accounting and environmental matters, including air and water quality and waste management and disposal; the impact of climate change, including increased frequency and severity of significant weather events and the extent to which counterparties are willing to do business with, finance the operations of or purchase energy from the Evergy Companies due to the fact that the Evergy Companies operate coal-fired generation; prices and availability of electricity and natural gas in wholesale markets; market perception of the energy industry and the Evergy Companies; the impact of future Coronavirus (COVID-19) variants on, among other things, sales, results of operations, financial position, liquidity and cash flows, and also on operational issues, such as supply chain issues and the availability and ability of the Evergy Companies' employees and suppliers to perform the functions that are necessary to operate the Evergy Companies; changes in the energy trading markets in which the Evergy Companies participate, including retroactive repricing of transactions by regional transmission organizations (RTO) and independent system operators; financial market conditions and performance; current disruptions in the banking industry, including changes in interest rates and credit spreads and in availability and cost of capital and the effects on derivatives and hedges, nuclear decommissioning trust and pension plan assets and costs; impairments of long-lived assets or goodwill; credit ratings; inflation rates; effectiveness of risk management policies and procedures and the ability of counterparties to satisfy their contractual commitments; impact of physical and cybersecurity breaches, criminal activity, terrorist attacks, acts of war and other disruptions to the Evergy Companies' facilities or information technology infrastructure or the facilities and infrastructure of third-party service providers on which the Evergy Companies rely; impact of the Russian, Ukrainian conflict on the global energy market; ability to carry out marketing and sales plans; cost, availability, quality and timely provision of equipment, supplies, labor and fuel; ability to achieve generation goals and the occurrence and duration of planned and unplanned generation outages; delays and cost increases of generation, transmission, distribution or other projects; the Evergy Companies’ ability to manage their transmission and distribution development plans and transmission joint ventures; the inherent risks associated with the ownership and operation of a nuclear facility, including environmental, health, safety, regulatory and financial risks; workforce risks, including those related to the Evergy Companies' ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, maintain satisfactory relationships with their labor unions and manage costs of, or changes in, wages, retirement, health care and other benefits; disruption, costs and uncertainties caused by or related to the actions of individuals or entities, such as activist shareholders or special interest groups, that seek to influence Evergy’s strategic plan, financial results or operations; the impact of changing expectations and demands of the Evergy Companies' customers, regulators, investors and stakeholders, including heightened emphasis on environmental, social and governance concerns; the possibility that strategic initiatives, including mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, and long-term financial plans, may not create the value that they are expected to achieve in a timely manner or at all; difficulties in maintaining relationships with customers, employees, regulators or suppliers; and other risks and uncertainties.

This list of factors is not all-inclusive because it is not possible to predict all factors. You should also carefully consider the information contained in the Evergy Companies’ other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Additional risks and uncertainties are discussed from time to time in current, quarterly, and annual reports filed by the Evergy Companies with the SEC, including those described in Part I, Item 1.A. of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 (the “2023 Annual Report”). Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. The Evergy Companies undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Evergy, Inc. (Nasdaq: EVRG), a public utility holding company (“Evergy” or the “Company”), engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity to approximately 1.7 million customers in the states of Kansas and Missouri. Our 2023 Annual Report contains additional information about our businesses. This section is a summary and you should read the entire proxy statement before voting.

Evergy has achieved significant improvements in environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) efforts under the leadership and guidance of the Board and management. On its investor relations website, investors.evergy.com, Evergy provides quantitative and qualitative data regarding various ESG matters, including information related to emissions, waste, and water. The contents of the investor relations website, including reports and documents contained therein, are not incorporated into this filing. ESG highlights include:

For 2023, our DE&I efforts aligned with Evergy’s mission, values, and strategic priorities with the implementation of a robust set of initiatives and qualitative/quantitative measures in support of our DE&I pillars.

For 2023, Evergy’s corporate social impact strategy focused on environmental leadership and community vitality.

Our named executive officers (also referred to as “NEO” or “NEOs”) for 2023 are David A. Campbell, Kirkland B. Andrews, Kevin E. Bryant, Charles A. Caisley, and Heather A. Humphrey.

Evergy has added 6 new directors since 2020, each of whom brings additional breadth of experience, expertise, and characteristics to the Board. Following the retirement of S. Carl Soderstrom, Jr. in May of 2023, Neal A. Sharma joined the Board, providing additional expertise and qualifications. With the retirement of Mark A. Ruelle and Thomas D. Hyde in May, our Board will decrease from 12 to 10 directors.

Each of our director nominees exhibits practical wisdom, sound judgement, and financial acumen. Based on their diverse experiences, the nominees are fully aligned with the competencies conducive to enhancing shareholder value. Additional information about our director nominees and their competencies, including the Board Diversity Matrix, can be found under “Proposal 1 – Election of Directors.”

Evergy’s compensation programs are designed to support achievement of our business strategy without encouraging excessive risk-taking. We intend to attract and retain highly qualified executives, pay for performance, and reward long-term growth and sustained profitability. Consistent with these objectives, as shown below, a high percentage of total target direct compensation is based on performance. The graphics and table below do not include special inducement and retention awards. Additional information about our executive compensation can be found under “Proposal 2 – Advisory Vote to Approve Executive Compensation.”

Set forth below is a summary of key fiscal 2023 compensation decisions for our currently serving NEOs.

The Compensation and Leadership Development Committee believes our executive compensation program features best-in-class governance practices, such as:

The following summarizes the business experience of each nominee for at least the last five years, and the specific experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills that led the Board to conclude that each nominee should serve as a director. The Board believes that the items noted for each nominee demonstrate his or her superior leadership, high performance standards, mature judgment, strategic planning capabilities and ability to understand and oversee the Company’s strategies, operations, and management.

The 10 nominees for director have been recommended to the Board by the Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee and nominated by the Board to serve as directors until the next annual meeting of shareholders and until their successors are duly elected and qualified.

Each nominee has consented to stand for election, and the Board does not anticipate that any nominee will be unavailable to serve. In the event that one or more of the director nominees should become unavailable to serve at the time of the annual meeting, shares represented by proxy may be voted for the election of a nominee to be designated by the Board. Alternatively, in lieu of designating a substitute, the Board may reduce the number of directors. Proxies cannot be voted for more than 10 nominees.

The Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee is responsible for identifying potential director nominees and evaluating and recommending director nominees to the Board. The Committee takes into account a number of factors when considering director nominees, as described in our Corporate Governance Guidelines and as discussed in greater detail below. Director nominees identified by shareholders for our consideration will be evaluated in the same way as nominees identified by the Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee.

Shareholders who wish to identify director nominees for consideration by the Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee should write to our Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee at the address provided in “Communicating with the Board” on page 30. Shareholders who wish to nominate a director nominee, including nominations pursuant to our proxy access By-law provisions, may do so by following instructions set forth in “How can I nominate a director or submit a proposal for the 2025 annual meeting?” on page 80.

The Board oversees the shareholders’ interests in the long-term health and success of the Company’s business, and directs, oversees and monitors the performance of management. The Board believes that its effectiveness in carrying out its responsibilities depends not only upon the particular experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that each director possesses, but also upon the director’s ability to work collaboratively and function well as a collegial body.

The Board’s objective is to have a well-rounded and diverse membership possessing, in the aggregate, skill sets and core competencies that are conducive to long-term success. The Board considers diversity in the broadest sense, reflecting geography, age, gender and ethnicity, as well as other factors. The Board believes that a diverse group of directors is desirable to expand the Board’s collective knowledge and expertise, as well as to evaluate management and positively influence the Company’s performance.

The success of the Company depends not only on expertise-based competencies, but equally on the personal qualities and attributes of the directors, both individually and as a group. Attributes that directors should possess include, among others, practical wisdom and thoughtfulness in decision-making; mature and sound judgment; financial acumen and business experience; the highest level of personal and professional ethics, integrity and values; sufficient time and availability; commitment to representing the interests of shareholders, customers and their communities; critical analysis skills; collegiality, a collaborative and cooperative spirit and the ability to both lead and work within a team environment; and the courage to act constructively and independently. Non-management directors should also be able to meet the independence requirements of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) listing standards and our Corporate Governance Guidelines.

The Board concluded that the following core competencies are conducive to sustainable long-term shareholder and customer value: strategy development; federal and state regulation and compliance; alignment of company culture with compensation and leadership development; accounting, finance, and investment management; risk management; operational oversight; customer experience; community and political relations; and ESG. Each director nominee provided a self-evaluation against these core competencies, and the Board evaluated the contribution level of each director nominee, using the categories of “experienced,” “moderate experience,” “minimal experience,” and “no experience.”

The following Board Diversity Matrix highlights certain personal characteristics of the director nominees as of the date of this Proxy Statement.

Board Leadership Structure. With the upcoming retirement of Mr. Mark A. Ruelle from the Board, we have determined that, moving forward, we will use a Lead Independent Director plus a combined Chairman of the Board (the “Chair”) and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) structure. The Board previously separated the roles of the Chair and CEO, with Mr. Mark A. Ruelle serving as the Chair and Mr. David A. Campbell serving as the CEO. Following Mr. Ruelle’s announcement that he is not standing for re-election, Mr. Campbell has been nominated by the Board to serve as both the Chair and CEO.

The Board believes that the new structure is an appropriate corporate governance structure for the Company moving forward. However, the Board believes it is important to maintain flexibility to separate the roles in the future if it determines that a different Board structure would be in the long-term interests of our shareholders.

As implemented by the Company, the combined Chair and CEO role will focus on the accountability and responsibility of achieving the Company’s objectives, and the Lead Independent Director role will provide the independent members of the Board with effective Board leadership, oversight, and monitoring of the Company and its management. The Board believes that the CEO is well-positioned to lead discussions regarding the Company’s strategy. Moreover, the CEO’s operating knowledge of the Company and regular interactions with management provide him with the ability to highlight significant issues for Board consideration.

The Chair is responsible for presiding over all Board meetings and all executive sessions of the Board that include only non-management directors. The Chair may also call special meetings of the Board or shareholders, and presides over the Company’s shareholder meetings.

The Chair approves Board meeting agendas and reflects input, if any, of the Lead Independent Director. The Chair also discusses the quality, quantity, and timeliness of the flow of information communicated from management to the Board. The Chair also serves as the principal liaison between management and the Board.

The Chair is also available for discussion with individual directors regarding key issues, individual director performance or any other matters relating to effectiveness of the Board. The Chair may also interface from time to time with the public, including shareholders.

Working with the Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee and the Lead Independent Director, the Chair is also responsible for interviewing all potential new candidates and recommending new candidates for the Board. Among these other duties, the Chair is also responsible for helping to set the tone for ethics and integrity at Evergy.

The Lead Independent Director is responsible for developing agendas for executive sessions of independent directors and calling and presiding over the same. The Lead Independent Director also serves as a liaison between the Chair and the independent directors, reviews meeting agendas and reviews meeting schedules.

The Board appoints a Lead Independent Director to ensure that Evergy’s independent directors are represented and have formal mechanisms in place to exercise their governance role. Mr. Hyde, previously appointed as Lead Independent Director by the Board, is not able to stand for re-election pursuant to Evergy’s Mandatory Retirement / Tenure Policy (as described below). The Board has designated Mr. Isaac as the new Lead Independent Director effective at the 2024 Annual Meeting.

Independent Board. The Board has determined that 9 of the 10 nominees are independent.

Executive Sessions. Time is reserved on each Board meeting agenda for all directors to meet in executive session, with no members of management (other than the CEO) present. Time is also reserved at each regular committee meeting for committee members to meet in executive session with no members of management present.

Board Meetings and Director Attendance. The Board held four meetings in 2023. Each incumbent director nominee attended greater than 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of the Board and committees on which he or she served during 2023 (or portion of 2023 during which he or she served as a director or committee member).

Board Committees. We have a robust committee structure, with six standing committees.

Each committee is led by an independent director. In addition, four of the standing committees, including all committees required by Nasdaq standards, consist solely of independent directors.

Each standing committee is governed by a committee charter that enumerates the committee’s responsibilities. Each charter is reviewed at least annually and is available on the Company’s investor relations website at investors.evergy.com.

The Board has determined that each member of the committee is (i) independent under the Nasdaq listing standards and Rule 10A-3(b)(1) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”); (ii) financially literate under the Nasdaq listing standards; and (iii) an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of SEC regulations. No member of the committee serves on the audit committee of more than three public companies.

The Board has determined that each member of the committee is independent under the Nasdaq listing standards and Rule 10C-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act, including the enhanced independence standards for members of the compensation committee and a “non-employee director” as defined in Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.

The Board has determined that each member of the committee, other than Mr. Campbell, is independent under the Nasdaq listing standards. The Board determined that having Mr. Campbell on the committee is proper and beneficial due to his extensive financial experience.

The Board has determined that each member of the committee is independent under the Nasdaq listing standards.

The Board has determined that each member of the committee, other than Mr. Ruelle, is independent under the Nasdaq listing standards. The Board determined that having Mr. Ruelle on the committee is proper and beneficial due to his extensive operational experience, including with respect to Wolf Creek.

The Board has determined that each member of the committee is independent under the Nasdaq listing standards.

We are committed to strong corporate governance practices that support the regulated nature of our business and the long-term interests of our shareholders.

Corporate Governance Guidelines. The Board has adopted a set of Corporate Governance Guidelines to provide a framework for our corporate governance initiatives. Our guidelines address, among other things, Board responsibilities and leadership, risk oversight, committee composition, and director qualifications. The Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee is responsible for overseeing and reviewing the Corporate Governance Guidelines and for recommending any changes to the guidelines to the Board.

Code of Ethics. Our Board has adopted a Code of Ethics to set the tone for our expectation that all directors, officers and employees act in an ethical and lawful manner. We also expect all parties who work on Evergy’s behalf to embrace the spirit of the Code of Ethics. Other parts of our process to ensure lawful and ethical business conduct include policies and procedures, compliance monitoring and reporting and periodic training on various areas of the law and corporate policies. We have also established a “ConcernsLine” for the confidential and anonymous reporting of concerns and complaints, which is independently administered and is available 24 hours a day, every day.

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the Code of Ethics are available on the Company’s investor relations website at investors.evergy.com. These documents are also available in print to any shareholder upon request. Requests should be directed to Corporate Secretary, Evergy, Inc., 1200 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105. We will disclose any change in the Code of Ethics, or any waiver from a provision in the Code of Ethics granted to a director or an executive officer, by posting such information on our investor relations website. The contents of the investor relations website, including reports and documents contained therein, are not incorporated into this filing.

Annual Election of Directors. Our directors are elected on an annual basis and serve until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified.

Majority Voting Policy. Pursuant to our majority voting policy, in advance of the annual meeting, each director nominee is required to tender an irrevocable letter of resignation that will take effect if that nominee fails to receive, in an uncontested election, the vote of a majority of votes cast by shareholders at the meeting. In the event that any nominee fails to obtain the required majority vote, the Board will decide, through a process managed by the Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee and excluding the nominee in question, whether to accept the resignation. Absent a compelling reason for the director to remain on the Board, the Board shall accept the resignation.

Proxy Access. Subject to the requirements and limitations contained in our By-laws, an eligible shareholder, or a group of up to 20 eligible shareholders, can have nominees included in future proxy statements. In general, the shareholders must have continuously owned at least 3% of Evergy’s outstanding shares for at least three years as of the date that the shareholder(s) notify Evergy of the intent to utilize proxy access. The eligible shareholders may use proxy access to nominate up to 25% of the total number of directors who are members of the Board as of the date that the shareholder(s) notify Evergy of the intent to utilize proxy access.

Shareholder Right to Call Special Meeting. Subject to the requirements and limitations contained in our By-laws, an eligible shareholder, or a group of eligible shareholders, that own 15% or more of Evergy’s outstanding common stock in net long form can call a special meeting of shareholders.

Annual Self-Assessments. The Board and each committee conduct annual self-assessments to determine whether the Board and committees are functioning effectively. The self-assessment process is based on written Board and committee surveys that are completed by all Board members. The self-assessment topics generally include, among other matters, Board composition and Board and committee structure, meeting topics and process, quality and timeliness of information, diversity, risk management, succession planning and access to management. The Chair of the Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee meets with each director to discuss the survey, and the process allows Board members to provide input on individual Board member effectiveness. Each director can also request to meet with the Lead Independent Director, and the Chair of the Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee, Lead Independent Director will provide any applicable feedback to an individual director. In 2023, as part of ongoing Board refreshment activities, the Chair of the Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee also met with each director to solicit feedback on Board and committee composition, among other things. Each Board committee discusses the results of its self-assessment and the Board discusses the results of the self-assessment process. As appropriate, the Board oversees the implementation of enhancements and other modifications identified during the process.

Board Oversight of Risk Management. The Board is responsible for the oversight of all major risks (as well as mitigation plans), including strategic, financial, operational and compliance risks. In an effort to ensure appropriate and in-depth oversight of risk, the Board has delegated some specific risk oversight responsibility to its committees, as summarized below and as described in those committees’ charters. The Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee is charged with ensuring that risk oversight roles have been properly allocated, and the Audit Committee reviews Evergy’s enterprise risk management policies and framework. Management is responsible for developing and implementing appropriate risk management practices on a day-to-day basis.

At least once each year, the Board receives a report from management and provides feedback and asks questions on key business and compliance risks and related mitigation plans. The Board also receives updates on significant events and the status of, and changes in, such risks and mitigation plans. In addition, management makes regular presentations to the Board focusing on significant risk areas and corresponding mitigation plans and activities.

Board Attendance at Annual Meeting. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that all directors are encouraged to attend annual meetings of shareholders.

Mandatory Retirement / Tenure Policy. All directors serving on the Board as of June 4, 2018 have a mandatory retirement age of 75, meaning that any such director is not eligible to stand for election or re-election at the annual meeting of shareholders following his or her 75^th birthday. Any director appointed after June 4, 2018 will not be able to stand for election or re-election at the annual meeting of shareholders following the earlier of (i) his or her 72^nd birthday or (ii) 16 years of service. In addition, any director who experiences a significant change in primary employment since election to the Board must offer to resign, which offer will be evaluated by the Board in light of the individual circumstances.

Stock Ownership Requirements. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that non-employee directors are expected, within five years of their initial election to the Board, to acquire and hold Evergy stock with a value equal to at least five times the amount of the annual non-employee director cash retainer. Our CEO is required to hold Evergy stock with a value equal to six times the amount of his or her base salary. All director nominees are in compliance with the policy.

No Hedging / Pledging. Our securities trading policy, which was adopted by the Board and is overseen by our Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee, prohibits all employees, officers, and directors from trading in options, warrants, and puts and calls related to Evergy. Our policy also prohibits all employees, officers, and directors from purchasing financial instruments (including prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, and exchange funds), or otherwise engaging in transactions that hedge or offset, or are designed to hedge or offset, any decrease in the market value of Evergy securities. The policy also prohibits all employees, officers, and directors from holding Evergy securities in a margin account or pledging Evergy securities as collateral.

Oversight and Disclosure of Political Contributions. Our Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee reviews and approves the annual political contribution budget, and reviews reports on political expenditures. Our investor relations website, investors.evergy.com, also contains a copy of our policy with respect to political contributions and information regarding certain political expenditures.

Human Rights Policy. The Board has adopted a formal human rights policy which is available on our investor relations website, investors.evergy.com.

Emissions Reductions and Environmental Leadership. Evergy is committed to a long-term strategy to reduce GHG emissions in a cost-effective and reliable manner. In 2023, Evergy achieved a reduction of CO₂ emissions from owned generation by 53% from 2005 levels and reductions in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions by 98% and 90%, respectively, relative to 2005 levels. Evergy has a long-term target to achieve net-zero CO_2e emissions, for scope 1 and scope 2, by 2045 with an interim goal of a 70% reduction of owned generation CO₂ emissions from 2005 levels by 2030 through the responsible transition of Evergy’s generation fleet. Achieving these emission reductions is expected to be dependent on enabling technologies and supportive policies and regulations, among other external factors. In 2023, Evergy’s Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “LTIP”) included an environmental metric based on total megawatts of owned renewables additions by year-end 2024 or buy-ins of firm power purchase agreements (“PPA”).

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Evergy strives to maintain a diverse, inclusive, and equitable people first culture that empowers a stronger future together. Beyond creating an inclusive culture within our company, Evergy strives to be recognized in the realm of supplier diversity. By increasing opportunities for diverse suppliers and enhancing the competitiveness of the supply chain, we promote economic value for our customers, shareholders, and the communities we serve. Our supplier diversity initiatives benefit both underrepresented businesses and the communities in which they are located through job creation, increased wages, and tax revenue. Evergy’s active supplier diversity program has been in place for more than 30 years and involved more than $255 million of diverse supplier spending in 2023. To further promote and reinforce our commitment to DE&I, our Annual Incentive Plan (“AIP”) for 2023 includes a discretionary DE&I modifier.

Evergy’s Master Credit Facility with Non-Emission and Diversity Metrics. Evergy’s $2.5 billion master credit facility contains certain pricing terms based on diversity and non-CO₂ emitting energy generation goals. The applicable interest rates and commitment fees for the facility are subject to upward or downward adjustments, within certain limitations, if Evergy achieves, or fails to achieve, certain sustainability-linked targets based on two key performance indicator metrics: (i) Non-Emission Generation Capacity and (ii) Diverse Supplier Spend (both as defined in the facility).

Information Security. Evergy’s cybersecurity and information technology risk mitigation program is based on a comprehensive set of laws and rules issued by multiple government agencies concerning cybersecurity risk and is designed to safeguard Evergy’s operating information, proprietary business information and personal information belonging to customers and employees. Evergy is subject to recurring, independent, third-party audits with respect to adherence to these laws and rules, including those of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).

Evergy’s risk management function utilizes the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF), the United States Department of Energy Cyber Capability Maturity Model (C2M2) standard and components of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Risk Management Framework (NIST RMF) for a comprehensive, flexible and risk-based approach to managing risk from cybersecurity threats that integrates, security, privacy and cyber supply chain risk management activities. Evergy also maintains cybersecurity insurance coverage. Evergy’s cybersecurity team regularly coordinates with industry peers, industry trade organizations, and multiple state and federal governmental agencies, including the United States Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigations within the United States Department of Justice, the Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

All Evergy employees complete an annual information security awareness training that addresses information technology, cybersecurity, privacy, and other related matters, and Evergy provides frequent awareness opportunities to employees by conducting controlled phishing campaigns and periodically providing other educational opportunities. Evergy’s management team is responsible for the design and implementation of this program, subject to oversight of the Board and its committees. Evergy’s Safety and Power Delivery Committee assists the Board with respect to, among other things, review of cybersecurity risks and other aspects of Evergy’s information technology function. In 2023, the Board and its committees received multiple presentations that were specific to information technology and cybersecurity matters, including artificial intelligence, and information technology and cybersecurity matters are incorporated into other presentations if those topics are relevant to the presentation. Information technology and cybersecurity matters are also regularly assessed in connection with the Board’s oversight of Evergy’s operations. At least once each year, the Board receives a report from management on key business and compliance risks and related mitigation plans, and management reviews cybersecurity matters with the Board in connection with this report. Evergy’s Audit Committee also receives reports from the Company’s audit services department regarding the results of reviews of cybersecurity matters and information security governance. Please refer to our 2023 Annual Report in Part I – Item 1C – Cybersecurity for additional information regarding Evergy’s enterprise risk management policies, processes, and frameworks.

Human Capital Resource Management. The Company is committed to effective human capital resource management. Please refer to our 2023 Annual Report in Part I – Item 1 – Business – “Human Capital Resources” for additional information about this topic.

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines require that a majority of our directors be independent, as determined in accordance with the Nasdaq listing standards, as well as other independence standards that the Board may adopt. The Nasdaq listing standards provide that no director can qualify as independent unless the Board affirmatively determines that the director has no material relationship with the listed company. The Board has adopted director qualification standards that are contained in our Corporate Governance Guidelines to assist in making director independence determinations. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines are available on our investor relations website, investors.evergy.com. Our director qualification standards are consistent with the Nasdaq objective independence standards.

The Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee reviewed the applicable legal standards for Board and committee member independence and the director qualification standards. The Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee also reviewed an analysis of the information provided by each director in an annual questionnaire and a report of transactions between Evergy and director-affiliated entities. The Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee reported its independence determination recommendations to the Board, and the Board made its independence

determinations based on the Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee’s report and the supporting information. In making its independence determinations, the Board considered ordinary course commercial, charitable and other transactions, none of which were material or affected the independence of a director nominee.

In evaluating independence, the Board considered the terms of the Company’s 2021 issuance of equity and warrants to an affiliate of Bluescape, of which Mr. John Wilder is the Executive Chairman. The Board concluded that such issuances align Mr. Wilder’s interests with Evergy shareholder interests, and that Mr. Wilder is independent.

Some of our directors serve as trustees or directors of charitable organizations on which other directors or officers also serve or to which we donate money. In each case, payments by us were less than the greater of 5% of the charitable organization’s revenues or $200,000.

Based on this review, the Board affirmatively determined that all directors (including nominees for directors at the annual meeting of shareholders) are independent under the Nasdaq listing standards and the director qualification standards, except Mr. Campbell, due to his current position as the Chief Executive Officer of Evergy.

The Board has adopted a written policy governing the identification, review, approval and consideration of related party transactions. The policy applies to any transaction in which Evergy (including any of its subsidiaries) was, is or will be a participant, the amount involved exceeds $120,000 in the aggregate, and any related party had, has or will have a direct or indirect material interest, but excludes any transaction that meets the preapproval thresholds set forth in our related party transaction policy. Pursuant to this policy, related party transactions are to be submitted to the Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee for consideration at the next committee meeting or, if it is not practicable or desirable for the Company to wait until the next committee meeting, to the committee Chair. The Chair reports to the committee at its next meeting any approval under the related party transactions policy pursuant to delegated authority. There were no related party transactions since the beginning of fiscal year 2023 required to be reported under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K of the Exchange Act.

Ms. Lawrence, Mr. Isaac, Sen. Landrieu, and Ms. Price served as members of the Compensation and Leadership Development Committee in 2023. No such member is or was an officer or employee of Evergy or its subsidiaries or had any relationship requiring disclosure under Item 404 of Regulation S-K of the Exchange Act. None of our executive officers served as a director or was a member of the compensation committee (or equivalent body) of any entity where a member of our Board or Compensation and Leadership Development Committee was also an executive officer.

To Evergy’s knowledge, no executive officer, director, or 10% beneficial owner failed to file, on a timely basis, the reports required by Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

The Audit Committee has established procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints or concerns regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters affecting Evergy. Complaints or concerns may be submitted on a confidential and anonymous basis either through the “ConcernsLine” (1-866-266-7595) or by letter addressed to:

All complaints or concerns will be forwarded to the Chair of the Audit Committee. Confidentiality will be maintained to the fullest extent practicable, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation and applicable legal requirements.

The Board values input from shareholders and the many constituents that are impacted by Evergy’s activities. Communications relating to corporate governance, succession planning, executive compensation and general oversight of the Board can be sent to:

Communications can also be sent by e-mail to board@evergy.com. All relevant communications will be forwarded to the Chair of the Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee to be handled on behalf of the Board. The Board believes that communications relating to general business operations, financial results, strategic direction and similar matters are appropriately addressed by management, and relevant communications that relate to these topics will be shared with appropriate members of management.

Our Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee, which is comprised entirely of independent directors, is responsible for reviewing and approving compensation for our non-employee directors. The committee seeks to provide an overall non-employee director compensation program that is generally aligned with the 50^th percentile of our peer group (which is the same peer group that is used for benchmarking executive compensation). However, due to the variation in peer company non-employee director compensation, and the fact that director compensation is not changed each year, in any given year overall non-employee director compensation may be above, at, or below the market median. The committee reviews non-employee director compensation at our peer companies and relies in part on the advice of an independent compensation consultant.

The Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee, based in part on a review of compensation practices at our peer companies and the advice of its independent compensation consultant, Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC (“Meridian”), approved an updated compensation structure for non-employee directors in 2023, consisting of increased quarterly committee chair cash retainers for four of the six committees, the quarterly non-executive chair cash retainer, annual equity retainers, and the non-executive chair annual equity retainer. Based on Meridian’s benchmarking, the Nominating, Governance and Sustainability Committee elected to increase the following components of non-employee director compensation effective May 2, 2023: committee chair cash retainers from $15,000 to $20,000 (annual amount, paid quarterly) for the Nominating, Governance, and Corporate Responsibility Committee, the Finance Committee, the Nuclear and Power Supply Committee, and the Safety and Power Delivery Committee (Audit and Compensation and Leadership Development remained the same); non-executive chair cash retainer from $55,000 to $65,000 (annual amount, paid quarterly); annual equity retainer from $145,000 to $155,000; and, non-executive chair annual equity retainer from $55,000 to $65,000. For the amounts each director received in 2023, please refer to the table in section “2023 Non-Employee Director Compensation” below.

The following table outlines all compensation paid to our non-employee directors in 2023. We have omitted the columns titled “Option Awards” and “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation” because our non-employee directors did not receive such compensation in 2023. Please refer to the table in section “Non-Employee Director Compensation” above for a description of changes to non-employee director compensation made effective as of May 2, 2023.

Non-employee directors may defer the receipt of all or part of their cash retainers through our non-qualified deferred compensation plan (“DCP”) or all or part of the equity retainer through issuance of deferred share units (“DSUs”) under the LTIP.

Non-employee directors may also elect to have all, or a part, of their cash retainers converted into DSUs under the LTIP.

As of the date any dividend is paid to common stock shareholders, each DSU account is credited with additional DSUs equal to the number of shares of common stock that could have been purchased (at the closing price of our common stock on that date) with the amount which would have been paid as dividends on the number of shares equal to the number of DSUs. DSUs are converted to stock and distributed following termination of service on the Board pursuant to elections made by each director. See “Security Ownership of Directors and Executive Officers” table on page 76 for additional information.

Members of the Board will also receive standard reimbursements for expenses incurred in connection with meeting attendance and professional education.

We also match non-employee director contributions to 501(c)(3) organizations that meet our strategic giving priorities, subject to certain parameters.

Consistent with our peer group and other public companies, we provide liability insurance to our directors under our directors and officers insurance policies. We have also entered into standard indemnification agreements with each of our directors.

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that non-employee directors are expected, within five years of their initial election to the Board, to acquire and hold Evergy stock with a value equal to at least five times the amount of the annual non-employee director cash retainer. As of December 31, 2023, all of our non-employee directors are in compliance with this requirement.

Public companies are required under Section 14A of the Exchange Act to provide their shareholders with the opportunity to approve, on an advisory and non-binding basis, the compensation of their NEOs. In 2023, approximately 96% of our voting shareholders approved the compensation of our NEOs. We believe this strong shareholder support demonstrates the alignment of shareholder interests with our executive compensation program and philosophy.

The Board believes that providing shareholders with an annual advisory vote on executive compensation can produce useful and timely information on investors’ views of the Company’s executive compensation program. Although the vote is advisory and non-binding, we value the opinions of our shareholders and the Compensation and Leadership Development Committee will consider this vote when making future compensation decisions.

As discussed below, our executive compensation program is designed to support achievement of our business strategy without encouraging excessive risk-taking, to attract and retain highly qualified executives, pay for performance, reward long-term growth and sustained profitability and to encourage teamwork. The Board strongly endorses our executive compensation program and recommends that our shareholders vote in favor of the following resolution:

We currently intend to hold the next non-binding advisory vote to approve the compensation of our NEOs at our next annual meeting of shareholders, unless our Board modifies its current policy of holding this vote on an annual basis.

The Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“CD&A”) that follows provides a comprehensive explanation of the compensation awarded to, earned by, or paid to the following individuals listed below, who are our NEOs for 2023:

References to the “Committee” in the CD&A and related sections mean the Compensation and Leadership Development Committee of the Board.

The Company made progress in advancing priority initiatives in its DE&I efforts; therefore the DE&I modifier was set at target.

Our weighted achievement for 2023 was 107.9% of target. Based on this performance, the following performance cash awards were paid to our NEOs.

In 2022, we added an environmental metric to the performance-based RSUs based on total megawatts of owned renewables additions or buy-ins of PPAs by year-end 2024, among other changes. The 2021 changes that we continued into 2022 include the discretionary DE&I and Key Performance Indicator modifiers to the AIP that reinforce our commitment to improving our DE&I goals and assess our progress on the Company’s business plan. We also continue to measure cumulative adjusted EPS in the 2022 performance-based RSUs to support achievement of our long-term strategic plan and because of its alignment with shareholder value creation. The goals and targets for our 2023 executive incentive plans are aligned with our strategic business plan. In 2024, we are amending several of our AIP metrics as follows:

The Operations and Financial metrics and AIP Modifiers remain unchanged.

Our Committee believes our executive compensation program also features best-in-class governance practices, such as:

Evergy’s executive compensation program is designed to support achievement of our business strategy without encouraging excessive risk-taking. The primary objectives of our compensation program are to:

For 2023, the Compensation and Leadership Development Committee retained Meridian to evaluate and provide advice with respect to our executive compensation program. At the Committee’s request, Meridian reviewed the Company’s executive compensation and benefit programs, advised on potential peer companies, analyzed base salaries and variable pay relative to market data and peer companies, advised on compensation practices of peer companies and performed other activities related to executive compensation as requested by the Committee. Meridian neither determined, nor recommended, the amount of any executive’s compensation. The Committee retains the sole authority to select, retain, direct, or dismiss any executive compensation consultant engaged by the Committee. In addition, annually, the Committee reviews the performance of any compensation consultant engaged by the Committee and confirms that any such consultant remains independent and free from conflicts of interest that would prevent the consultant from independently representing the Committee.

The Committee evaluates the Company’s compensation program against peer companies because the Committee believes that peer companies represent the types of companies with which Evergy competes for executive-level talent and capital and that have similar businesses as Evergy. To select the peer companies, the Committee identifies companies with a size and business mix similar to the Company and then assesses those potential peer companies by annual revenues, market value and percentage of total revenues from regulated electric operations, among other factors. The Committee used the following peer group in connection with 2023 compensation decisions, which was the same peer group used in 2022.

Our Compensation and Leadership Development Committee charter provides that, on an annual basis, the Committee is responsible for evaluating, and recommending for approval by the non-management members of the Board, Chief Executive Officer compensation, incentives, and benefits. The charter further provides that, on an annual basis, the Committee is responsible for evaluating and approving the same for our other NEOs and for evaluating and advising our Chief Executive Officer on compensation, incentives, and benefits for all other officers.

In 2022, the management team retained Willis Towers Watson, PLC (“Willis Towers Watson”) to conduct a competitive market assessment of our executive officer compensation program in preparation for 2023 compensation discussions. The competitive market assessment reviewed base salary and target short-term incentives, long-term incentives, total cash compensation and total direct compensation. To conduct this analysis, Willis Towers Watson provided market data from its 2022 Energy Services Executive Compensation Database, which is an annual compilation of compensation for executive officer positions at a broad group of energy and utility companies nationwide. Willis Towers Watson obtained data from its database for positions that in its judgment most closely corresponded to the duties and responsibilities associated with each of our officer positions. Willis Towers Watson then adjusted the data to account for the different total revenues of the companies in its database as compared to our projected revenues.

Meridian reviewed the work of Willis Towers Watson and provided input on the benchmark matches and methodologies. Meridian also reviewed data derived from the 2022 annual proxy statements and other public filings for companies in our peer group. The data was used to compare the proposed compensation levels of our executive officers against the compensation of corresponding executive officers of companies in the peer group. These comparisons allowed for determinations of the overall market competitiveness of our proposed executive officer compensation program. The Committee and Board had full authority to adjust any of the recommendations from Meridian and provide final decisions with respect to compensation.

Based in part on the foregoing work and analysis, the Committee approved the 2023 salaries, target short-term incentive compensation (expressed as a percentage of base salary) and target long-term incentive compensation (expressed as a percentage of base salary) for each of the NEOs, other than the Chief Executive Officer. In addition, based on the foregoing work and analysis, and on the Committee’s recommendation, the non-management members of the Board approved the 2023 salary, target short-term incentive compensation (expressed as a percentage of base salary) and target long-term incentive compensation (expressed as a percentage of base salary) for Mr. Campbell.

While the Chief Executive Officer at times attends meetings of the Committee, he is not a member and does not vote on Committee matters. In addition, there are portions of Committee meetings when the Chief Executive Officer is not present, such as when the Committee meets in closed executive session or discusses the Chief Executive Officer’s performance or individual compensation. The Chief Executive Officer’s compensation levels and performance goals are recommended by the Committee for approval by the non-management members of the Board. In the ordinary course of their job responsibilities, the Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers play a role in the design and evaluation of the Company’s compensation programs and policies. For example, because of their extensive knowledge of the Company and its operations, these executives are in a position to suggest to the Committee operational and financial measures that align annual compensation with value for shareholders and customers. Notwithstanding this involvement, all compensation decisions for the Chief Executive Officer and the other NEOs are ultimately made by the Committee or the non-management members of the Board.