[FatherofFive]

Natural Gas seems to have a competitive advantage. It is cleaner, and pipelines are cheaper than rail cars

[colorado tanker]

We have plentiful natural gas reserves in America, but even here it can’t replace coal. And you have states like New York who are run by insane liberals who won’t allow fracking to get to the reserves.

[RayChuang88]

Correct. Because natural gas burns very cleanly, the cost of emission controls at a gas-fired power plant is a tiny fraction of a coal-fired power plant, which require very expensive systems to remove particulates, heavy metals, sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen from the exhaust stream before it goes out the exhaust stack.

That's why New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's decision to not allow fracking for natural gas in upper New York state (that part of New York state sits on the gas-rich Marcellus Shale) is bad for that state. The state could have gotten a clean source of energy, and upper New York state would right now enjoy an economic boom as natural gas wells and pipelines are built to feed New York City.

[JimRed]

Natural Gas seems to have a competitive advantage. It is cleaner, and pipelines are cheaper than rail cars

And the coal ain't goin' anywhere. It'll still be there when needed, when technology renders it acceptably clean.

[MSF BU]

The Obama EPA was hostile to waste to energy plants, yet the Swedes seem to do it very efficiently.

[CitizenBob]

Fossil fuels include coal, petroleum, natural gas and their derivatives, i.e. kerosene & propane.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel

Why is the majority of the “value added” space in a coal fueled power plant consumed by emissions control equipment?

Environmental regulations enacted in the “war on coal” during Clinton and Obama administrations that resulted in over 50% of mines closed in USA.

What do China, India et al want to grow their industry and economy? Cheap energy! The cheapest for them is still King Coal!