Bill Allowing Coal Plant Clears Legislature

A bill clearing the way for a new coal-fired power plant in Holcomb has won final legislative approval.

The House approved it Friday on a 103-18 vote, sending it to

Gov. Mark Parkinson. The Senate had passed it on a 37-2 vote

Thursday night.

The bill contains renewable energy proposals, and Parkinson made

its passage a condition for allowing Sunflower Electric Power Corp.

to build an 895-megawatt power plant near Holcomb in Finney County.

Parkinson brokered the deal to end the 19-month impasse over the

state’s refusal to issue an air-quality permit for Sunflower to

build two plants.

It also ends the litigation by Sunflower, which maintained the

state overstepped its authority in denying the permit in October

2007.