Kansas Governor Says Final Power Plant Rule ‘Twice as Bad’

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback says the final version of a federal rule for cutting carbon emissions from power plants is “twice as bad” for the state as the original version outlined a year ago.

The Republican governor said Monday that changes announced by Democratic President Barack Obama will force Kansas to reconsider how it responds.

A law enacted earlier this year authorizes the state’s health and environment secretary to draft a plan to comply with the federal rule. It can include voluntary agreements with utilities to cut emissions of greenhouse gases linked to climate change but a legislative committee must sign off on it.

The final federal rule requires more aggressive emission reductions for Kansas by 2030.

The rule drew praise from the environmental group Kansas Interfaith Power & Light.