OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Omaha Public Power District board has decided to phase out coal to generate electrical power at its Omaha plant.

The board said in a news release Thursday that the changes will let the utility comply with government regulations to reduce future greenhouse gas emissions.

The board has approved a plan to retire three units at its north Omaha plant by 2016. The two remaining generating units would remain on coal but be retrofitted with more emission controls. They eventually would be altered to run on natural gas by 2023.

OPPD serves nearly 789,000 people in eastern and southeast Nebraska and covers all or part of 13 Nebraska counties.