A Sunflower Electric Power Corp. spokesman apologized Friday for saying he would push for a boycott of Lawrence because of the city’s opposition to a proposed coal-fired power plant in western Kansas.

“I absolutely did let my emotions get the best of me,” said Steve Miller, Sunflower’s senior manager of external affairs. “It was just a dumb thing I said and I deeply regret saying the words.”

Miller earlier this week told the Salina Journal: “I personally will make it my crusade to make sure all our western Kansas dollars are diverted as far away from Lawrence as they can be, because they have unfairly stuck their nose in western Kansas’ business. … As hard as it is to create jobs in Kansas, for another Kansas town to come out against us just makes me stutter.”

His comments followed the Lawrence commission’s Tuesday vote to submit a letter to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment opposing the issuance of permits for a new power plant complex near Holcomb.

The $5 billion project, proposed by the Hays-based Sunflower Electric Power Corp., would produce about 2,100 jobs for western Kansas. The proposal has faced opposition largely because of environmental concerns.

Before word of Miller’s comments reached some Lawrence leaders, the power company retracted, issuing a statement from Sunflower President and CEO Earl Watkins.

“The comment made by Mr. Miller does not reflect the official view of our cooperative,” Watkins said. “Mr. Miller saw the action of Lawrence as threatening our mission and he reacted emotionally. Our mission is not to damage Lawrence but to serve the people to whom we are committed.”

The City Commission voted 3-2 in favor of sending the letter of opposition. City Commissioner Mike Rundle, who proposed the idea of a letter, voted for the action, as well as Commissioners Boog Highberger and David Schauner.

Mayor Mike Amyx and Commissioner Sue Hack opposed the move, although Amyx said he would do his mayoral duty to sign it. Amyx and Hack voiced concerns that taking a stand would create ill will toward Lawrence among western Kansas lawmakers and leaders.

Miller said Friday he sent a message of apology to Amyx, City Manager David Corliss and Lawrence Chamber of Commerce President Lavern Squier.

“Apology accepted,” Amyx said Friday. “I’m not going to get into a yelling match.”

Amyx said that though he disagreed with the commission’s opposition to the power plant, he supported the majority opinion because it was his mayoral duty to do so.

“Whatever the majority is going to say, I’m going to support,” he said. “I may have a difference of opinion – and in this case I did.”

Rundle said the commission’s letter is part of a normal process for providing public input to KDHE.

He said he thought “it was good of (Miller) to have second thoughts and to just step back and let KDHE do their job and weigh everything that they have heard. … Our democracy is a noisy and messy process, but it’s the best form of government so far in the history of human beings.”