Topeka ? Attorney General Derek Schmidt on Monday filed a federal lawsuit to block new EPA air pollution regulations.

Schmidt said the regulations will require Kansas utilities to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in new emissions control equipment by Jan. 1.

“It will be physically impossible for all of our utilities to comply, which means that either Kansans will be paying higher rates to buy out-of-state electricity or there simply will not be enough electricity to meet Kansas demand after the first of the year,” he said.

EPA says the Cross-State Air Pollution rule is needed to prevent air pollution from power plants from contributing to air-quality and health problems in other states.