TOPEKA ? Eight state attorneys general today asked Kansas to reject Sunflower Electric Power Corp.’s proposal to build three coal-fired plants in west Kansas.

“We encourage Kansas to explore alternatives that will allow Kansas to satisfy its needs for energy without exacerbating global warming,” the officials said in a letter to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The states opposed to the proposal are California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin. The Lawrence city commission has also filed a letter in opposition.

Sunflower has proposed building three, 700-megawatt plants in Holcomb.

The opposing states said the plant would pump annually into the air 15.4 million tons of carbon dioxide, an emission that contributes to climate change.

The Holcomb emissions would cancel out emission reduction measures adopted by the states, the attorneys general said.

The officials urged KDHE to reject Sunflower’s plan or require the company to use new technologies that reduce emissions and improve efficiency.

The letter was sent on the final day for public comment in the matter.

KDHE has not said when it would decide whether to grant a permit for the plants.

Steve Miller, a spokesman for the Hays-based Sunflower Electric, said he disagreed with the position of the eight states, but that they were entitled to submit their remarks.

He said probably the best way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions would be to focus on improving pollution controls in foreign countries.