KS Supreme Court Clears Way For Sunflower Power Plant

The Kansas Supreme Court has cleared a major obstacle to the construction of a long-delayed coal-fired power plant in the state’s southwestern corner.

The court Friday rejected a legal challenge from the Sierra Club to a state decision giving Sunflower Electric Power Corp. the go-ahead for its $2.8 billion project. The Hays-based utility wants to build an 895-megawatt plant outside Holcomb.

The environmental group challenged a 2014 Kansas Department of Health and Environment decision to grant what it called an “addendum” to a 2010 permit. The permit said the plant would comply with federal air-quality standards.

The Sierra Club objected partly because the addendum did not require the plant to control greenhouse gas emissions.

An earlier state Supreme Court decision had forced KDHE to consider changes to the 2010 permit.