A $2.8 billion coal-fired electric plant remains in limbo as political and legal hurdles prevent the southwest Kansas project from moving forward.

Hays-based Sunflower Electric Power Corp. received a state permit to build its 895-megawatt generating station in 2010. But state and federal lawsuits filed by interests seeking to block expansion of the state’s coal footprint have stymied progress.

A federal appeals court in May rejected a Sunflower request to overturn a 2012 federal judge’s ruling that required a full environmental review before the project can be considered for approval.

Three-quarters of the electricity produced by the Holcomb plant would be shipped to a cooperative in Colorado. Sunflower officials say selling the electricity would help keep rates down for the utility’s Kansas customers.

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