For the third time, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Friday vetoed a bill that would have authorized construction of two coal-fired power plants in western Kansas.

The bill was the Legislature’s final attempt before adjournment to strip a state regulator of the discretion he used last year to reject — because of concerns about climate change — Sunflower Electric Power Corp.’s project for Holcomb.

The Senate overrode the first two vetoes, but the House did not.

In an effort to win more votes, this latest bill contained several development initiatives. One was a plan for the state to back bonds related to the proposed intermodal freight hub near Gardner.

Supporters said Sunflower’s $3.6 billion project was economic development at its best.

But in her veto message, Sebelius said, “Rather than working toward a compromise solution, legislative leaders recklessly chose to jeopardize important initiatives for businesses and communities across our state by combining them with energy legislation I have previously vetoed twice.”

It wasn’t clear Friday whether legislative leaders would bring lawmakers back May 29 to attempt another veto override. That day is usually the ceremonial end of the session.

Coal plant supporters were quick to express disappointment in the veto.

“The value of that bill to the state was incredible — at least $5.5 billion (of economic investment),” said Sen. Karin Brownlee, an Olathe Republican.

House Speaker Melvin Neufeld, an Ingalls Republican, placed the lost investment opportunities at $16 billion.

“It is important we do whatever we can now to keep our state’s economy going and growing,” he said. “Now with the governor’s veto, Kansas has lost out on those opportunities.”

Neufeld said he would meet with Senate President Steve Morris, a Hugoton Republican, to determine the Legislature’s next move.

Steve Baru, a longtime member of the Sierra Club, said he did not expect a May 29 override, nor did he expect the issue to resurface next year.

Other environmental groups also praised the decision.

“I think the governor has made the right decision,” said John Thompson, director of the coal transition project for the Clean Air Task Force, a national environmental group.

Rep. Cindy Neighbor, a Shawnee Democrat who has opposed the power plants, said the economic package in the bill had a good chance of passing on its own.

“Too bad the coal plant was attached to those things,” she said.