Topeka ? Maybe it was coal fatigue.

The Kansas Senate — without debate — on Thursday advanced legislation that would allow the construction of two 700-megawatt coal-burning electric power plants.

The issue has rocked Kansas politics for the past 18 months and been the subject of countless hours of debate and meetings in the Legislature.

Hays-based Sunflower Electric Power Corp. and Colorado-based Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association have proposed building the plants in southwestern Kansas.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has rejected the project, citing its annual emission of 11 million tons of climate-changing carbon dioxide. Sebelius has also said the plants are not necessary, since 85 percent of the power would be sold to out-of-state customers, and that new federal rules on CO2 coming down the pike would make the project unfeasible.

Supporters have said the project will help the economy, and the plants will be among the cleanest coal-fired units in the country.

Sebelius vetoed three coal plant bills last year. The Senate was able to reach two-third majorities to overturn the vetoes, but those efforts fizzled in the House, which fell several votes short.

On Thursday, the Senate’s 31-7 veto-proof vote sent the issue back to the House, which will consider it today.

House Speaker Mike O’Neal, R-Hutchinson, has said he was confident that when the time came, he could muster the 84 votes needed to override an expected veto.