EXHIBIT 31.1

                                  CERTIFICATION


     Pursuant to the requirements of Rule 13a-14 of the Securities  Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended, Michael Erhart provides the following certification.

     I, Michael Erhart, Chief Executive Officer of Western Plains Energy, L.L.C.
("Company"), certify that:

     1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-KSB of the Company;

     2. Based on my  knowledge,  this annual  report does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact  necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such statements
were made,  not  misleading  with  respect to the period  covered by this annual
report;

     3. Based on my knowledge,  the  financial  statements  and other  financial
information  included  in this annual  report,  fairly  present in all  material
respects the financial  condition,  results of operations  and cash flows of the
Company as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;

     4. I am responsible for  establishing and maintaining  disclosure  controls
and  procedures  (as  defined in Exchange  Act Rules  13a-14 and 15d-14) for the
Company and have:

                  a. Designed such disclosure  controls and procedures to ensure
         that material  information  relating to the Company is made known to me
         by others,  particularly  during the period in which this annual report
         is being prepared;

                  b.  Evaluated the  effectiveness  of the Company's  disclosure
         controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing
         date of this annual report (the "Evaluation Date"); and

                  c. Presented in this quarterly  report our  conclusions  about
         the  effectiveness  of the disclosure  controls and procedures based on
         our evaluation as of the Evaluation Date;

     5. I have disclosed,  based on my most recent evaluation,  to the Company's
auditors  and  the  audit  committee  of our  board  of  directors  (or  persons
performing the equivalent functions):

                  a. All significant  deficiencies in the design or operation of
         internal controls which could adversely affect the Company's ability to
         record,   process,   summarize  and  report  financial  data  and  have
         identified  for the  Company's  auditors  any  material  weaknesses  in
         internal controls, and

                  b.  Any  fraud,   whether  or  not  material,   that  involves
         management  or  other  employees  who  have a  significant  role in the
         Company's internal controls; and

     6. I have  indicated  in this  annual  report  whether  or not  there  were
significant  changes  in  internal  controls  or in  other  factors  that  could
significantly  affect internal controls subsequent to the date of my most recent
evaluation,   including  any  corrective  actions  with  regard  to  significant
deficiencies and material weaknesses.



Date:    March 18, 2004                 /s/ Michael Erhart
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                                       Michael Erhart, Chief Executive Officer