Topeka ? Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and leaders of the state’s major electric utilities Friday vowed to decrease energy use and reliance on fossil fuels.

Sebelius had set a goal of using conservation and energy efficiencies to reduce energy consumption 10 percent by 2020.

She also has set goals of increasing wind-generated power to 10 percent of total electric use in Kansas by 2010 and 20 percent by 2020.

Agreeing to those goals Friday were chief executives of Westar Energy, Midwest Energy Inc., Sunflower Electric Power Corp., Great Plains Energy and Empire District Electric Co.

During a news conference, Bill Moore, Westar’s incoming chief executive officer, said he was pleased with the voluntary and cooperative attitude “instead of mandates.”

Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson described the accord between state officials and the companies as historic and unique.

He said that in many states, political leaders and utility companies are fighting each other. “We’re not doing that here in Kansas,” Parkinson said.

Environmentalists applauded the goals, but said more was needed.

“Compared to where we were two years ago, the governor’s goal of 10 percent in 2010 and 20 percent in 2020 is laudable and welcome,” said Craig Volland, a spokesman for the Kansas chapter of the Sierra Club.

About 3 percent of electricity in Kansas is generated by wind turbines, officials said. Experts say Kansas is one of the top states for potential wind power but ranks 10th in wind generating capacity.

Volland said the goals should be higher because many proposed wind farms in development in Kansas would already achieve the goals.

And environmentalists said that the coal-fired power plant proposed by Sunflower Electric in western Kansas would undo all the progress being made on conservation and renewable energy.

“It will be like an 800-pound gorilla out there,” Volland said.

State officials are considering a permit to allow Hays-based Sunflower to add two 700-megawatt coal-burning units next to its existing 350-megawatt plant in Holcomb. A megawatt equals 1 million watts and can power between 400 and 900 homes annually.

Environmentalists have filed a lawsuit against the project, saying the plants will worsen air pollution in the region.

“We believe it will severely exacerbate problems,” said Dave Kirkbride of Wichita, a member of the executive committee of the state Sierra Club.

Parkinson, who is leading Sebelius’ energy initiative, said coal power was important to an integrated energy policy, but declined to weigh in on the Sunflower proposal, saying the permit was being examined by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

“We’ll just have to wait and see what they do with it,” he said.

But Earl Watkins, chief executive officer and president of Sunflower Electric, said the plant would be much cleaner-burning than old coal plants. And, he said, the project would entail the construction of much-needed electric transmission lines that would also be used to move wind-generated power.

“That will allow us to actually develop and utilize the wind resources,” he said.

Sebelius emphasized that educating Kansans about energy efficient appliances, lights and insulation would go a long way toward reducing consumption.

“We’re essentially lazy consumers in this part of the country because energy costs have been cheap, relatively,” Sebelius said.

But she said Kansans are eager to be better stewards by reducing energy use.