NEW YORK (Standard&Poor's) Sept. 4, 2002--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said today it lowered its corporate credit rating for integrated utility company Aquila Inc. to triple-'B' minus from triple-'B' and removed it from CreditWatch, where it was placed with negative implications on April 30, 2002. The outlook is negative. The action affects about $3.3 billion of debt at Kansas City, Mo.-based Aquila. "Although Aquila's credit profile has been stressed by actions within the company and by general business conditions in its sector, management has taken and is expected to continue to take steps that will preserve credit quality in the triple-'B' area," said Standard&Poor's credit analyst Todd Shipman. "Achieving financial performance that is consistent with the
