Coal has the advantage of being in vast reserve, and much of it is within the territorial limits of the United States.
The scientists of Imperial Germany had made an excellent study of the potential use of coal in other purposes than directly as fuel, extracting a number of highly important industrial chemicals, and working out a number of ways to convert coal to various fractions of volatile liquid fuels, including Diesel oil and aviation gasoline. They even worked out ways to make a clean-burning gaseous fuel out of coal that had been coked, using something called the Fischer-Tropsch process. This was all done nearly a century ago, but it is very relevant today.
Not to be replaced by abundant and cheap natural gas, but as an augmentation to those supplies. Coal and its derivative, coke, are very concentrated energy storage, being nearly entirely or entirely composed of carbon.
We have the technology, we have the need, we only have to apply the will to use it.
Coal is also required for steel manufacturing. As we manufacture more steel, we would need more coal. The article is rubbish.