Topeka ? Comments in recent days from Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and House Speaker Melvin Neufeld have raised speculation about whether a deal is being worked out that would affect the denial of permits to build two coal-burning power plants in western Kansas.

Last week, when asked about whether negotiations were occuring, Sebelius said, “What is happening right now I would characterize more as conversations. There is a lot of information that I think is important for everybody to have.”

She said some of that information includes projected electric needs, energy costs and environmental impact.

“It has been characterized as a very black-and-white situation. I don’t think that’s accurate,” she said.

In October, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Roderick Bremby rejected the two 700-megawatt plants, citing concerns about the carbon dioxide emissions and global warming. Sebelius supported the decision.

The decision unleashed a torrent of criticism from western Kansas legislators, including the state’s two most powerful lawmakers, Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, and Neufeld, R-Ingalls.

Many have speculated that the Republican legislative leaders, who lead significant majorities in the House and Senate, will force a showdown with Sebelius, a Democrat, over legislation to reverse the denial.

And Neufeld, and even some Demcrats, have hinted that some kind of compromise could be reached to avoid a showdown during the session that started today.

“Legislators would be pleased and relieved if a compromise could be worked out,” said Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka.

But, he added, “If that’s possible, I don’t know.”

Environmentalists, however, say they want the decision to deny the plants to stand.

“I think that she (Sebelius) has gone quite out on a limb to support Bremby’s decision, so I can’t imagine that she would just capitulate,” said Craig Volland, of the Kansas chapter of the Sierra Club.

But, he added, “The Legislature is pretty powerful and is controlled by people who are angry about this, so I’m sure she is under pressure.”

Not only regional western Kansas interests are lobbying for the plants. So are organized labor and other business interests.

Bob Eye, an attorney for the Sierra Club, conceded the denial of the coal plants has introduced some bare-knuckled political sparring.

“It’s not a pillow fight,” he said.

But, he said, KDHE and Sebelius made the right decision and should stick to it.

“If we abandon this decision, I think they’ll be asking more than ‘what’s the matter with Kansas,’ but they’ll be asking ‘what in the world is the matter with Kansas.'”

Under the proposal by Sunflower Electric Power Corp., most of the energy that would have been produced at the two plants would have been sold to out of state companies. Sebelius said she was opposed to emitting tons of C02 every year in Kansas to make power for Colorado and Texas.

Sunflower has appealed KDHE’s decision to the Kansas Supreme Court.