Dallas ? Texas’ largest Baptist group is taking a rare step into environmental advocacy, working to block Gov. Rick Perry’s plan to speed the approval process for 18 new coal-fired power plants.

The Christian Life Commission, the public policy arm of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, is mobilizing Baptists against the coal-fired plants and urging the convention’s 2.3 million members to voice their opposition to state lawmakers.

TXU Corp.’s coal proposal is on a fast track under an executive order Perry issued last year to expand the production of electricity and lower its cost. The company says the plants will meet growing demand for power, boost the economy of small towns and reduce toxic emissions by replacing older plants.

Environmental organizations, a coalition of Texas cities and counties and a group of influential Dallas business executives are among the critics who contend the company is driven by profits and is rushing to beat more stringent federal restrictions on carbon dioxide emissions.