In one case here in Michigan they had a clean coal plant in the planning and development stages for a decade. Between the lawsuits to block it, endless permitting processes, and environmental impact studies they spent millions. When there was nothing left to stand in the way when the Granholm administration pulled the permits declaring that a new plant was unneeded.
Less than a month later, Granholm turned around and gave the go ahead for a wind farm and gave them subsidies.
Is it "clean coal" or "cleaner coal?"
Is there any process out there whereby coal can be burned as cleanly as nat gas?