The Kansas House of Representatives has spoken. Today it approved a bill allowing two coal-fired power plants in southwest Kansas.

In a vote of 77 to 45, supporters won the majority. But the bill isn't veto proof so the governor can still say no. In order to be veto proof 84 of 125 votes are required, meaning supporters were seven votes short.

The House bill is different from the bill already approved by the Senate in that it requires utilities to generate five percent of their electricity from renewable resources by the year 2012.

State Representative Tom Moxley| (R) of Council Grove says ”It is a difficult vote because there’s something in this bill for everyone to love and everyone to hate and that would go for every person that voted on the bill”

But, State Representative Terrie Huntington (R) of Fairway says, “I believe a new energy bill should be a compromise that includes efficiencies, renewables and safety measures that guarantees that our environment isn’t impacted”

In the next step, both chambers will negotiate over the final version of the legislation.