By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Board

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will lose a great deal of her political credibility if she accepts the new compromise offered by state legislators who favor a huge expansion of a coal-fired power plant.

Soon we'll find out whether Sebelius will succumb to political pressure.

Here's the most important component of the compromise offered by coal's supporters:

Sunflower Electric would get to add 1,200 megawatts of capacity at its Holcomb plant.

Notice: That's only 14 percent less than the 1,400 megawatts it has previously fought tooth-and-nail to add, a move fortunately blocked by Sebelius' administration.

So how does the 1,200 megawatt compromise stack up against what Sebelius has said she'd be willing to accept?

Not well.

Sebelius last month said she would support the addition of only 660 megawatts of coal-fired power by Sunflower Electric.

In other words, Sebelius supports roughly half what the utility wants her to approve.

Given that great discrepancy, Sebelius would lose a great deal of her credibility with state and national environmental groups if she accepted the compromise.

Other parts of the compromise pushed by Sunflower Electric regarding conservation and renewable forms of energy don't come close to making up for the pollution that would be caused by adding 1,200 megawatts of power near Holcomb.