KANSAS CITY – Kansas City Power & Light plans to reduce its use of coal in Missouri by closing or converting three units.

Utility officials announced Tuesday the changes will be made at generating units in Clinton, Sibley and St. Joseph. Those units generate about 700 megawatts of power, about 19 percent of the utility’s coal-generating capacity.

KCP&L CEO Terry Bassham says tougher environmental regulations prompted the changes.

The Kansas City Star reports a plant in Clinton will stop using coal, and one of its generating units will be closed or converted to natural gas by 2016. The remaining two units will be closed or converted by 2021. The St. Joseph plant will be converted to natural gas in 2016 and the Sibley plant will convert or close two units by 2019.