By MIKE CORN

mcorn@dailynews.net

The Great Plains Alliance for Clean Energy, based in Lawrence, has asked for five hearings on Sunflower Electric's request for a permit to build an 895-megawatt coal-fired power plant in southwest Kansas.

That many hearings, said GPACE director Scott Allegrucci, would give all Kansans the opportunity to learn more about the plant and give them the chance to offer comments.

How that will sync with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which will schedule the meetings, is uncertain.

"We're still working to determine the timelines," KDHE spokeswoman Kristi Pankratz said in an e-mail.

"KDHE will determine how many public hearings are necessary to serve the needs of Kansans, and Sunflower will adhere to those requests and regulations as we have always done," Sunflower spokeswoman Cindy Hertel said in another e-mail. "We do hope that KDHE gives consideration to public hearings in central and western Kansas since this is the area served by our member-owners, and their customers will benefit most from the Holcomb expansion project."

GPACE, in a letter to KDHE, made the suggestion that two additional public meetings -- compared to the three that were conducted when Sunflower sought permission to build two 700-megawatt plants -- are needed.

Allegrucci did not suggest locations for the hearings, saying that was not his place.

How many members are in GPACE is uncertain, although Allegrucci talked about thousands. While he said GPACE is not a group that simply opposes Sunflower's bid to build a coal-fired power plant, postings on its Web site are critical of the plant.

GPACE is a broad-based group, he said, with an interest in the use of Kansas fuels first -- wind and natural gas.

It's important, Allegrucci said, that more hearings be conducted -- given the Kansas Legislature spent nearly two years locked in discussion about what to do with Sunflower.

He also takes aim at several other issues surrounding the deal, notably Sunflower's troubled financial past and Gov. Mark Parkinson's closed-door dealings with Sunflower to reach an agreement allowing the utility to build a single plant.

Despite that "secret deal," brought in the first few days Parkinson was in office, Allegrucci contends it's not a certainty the plant will get a permit to build.

"We want public discussion in an open, fair and accountable way," he said. "That's probably as important to our members as anything."