Coal is dirty, but theres a place for it, in the big wheel of humanity. That place is China.
You have to think of the source of coal, when weighing the whole concept. Its WAY more environmentally damaging to extract than gas, despite what people have seen in Gas Wars, or whatever recent shit crossed their radar.
Then once the coal is burned, they put the waste ash into big piles, which is another environmental hazard... (in case you're keeping count, thats three separate strikes for coal gen - the source, the burning- if improperly scrubbed, and the waste deposits)
The result of burning gas is basically nothing. Heat, water vapor, and some off-gassing that doesn't require any filtering.
Fracking is not the only source of gas, it is perhaps 10% of the total that reaches pipelines. And it is believed that more gas lies undiscovered and/or untapped than we've ever burnt, ever. Potentially hundreds of years worth. With motors and houses being more efficient than ever before, requiring less energy.
All in all, coal is ultimately destined to be shut down. All coal plants have an expiration date. We should be pushing to shut them down, and selling our goddamn coal to China and India, getting some of our GDP back. Since we're the Saudi Arabia of coal, and all.
But do I think they can continue to burn it until they run gas pipes into the existing turbine locations. Which is probably the plan anyways, since those are where the electrical grid originate from.
And since gas is currently priced at 2.05 a decatherm (half of what it cost a few years ago), and coal is approximately $200 a ton (double of what it cost a few years ago), and we have a hellofa time exporting gas, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out which one's least likely to get any love.
Personally, I don't care what they do, as long as electricity stays affordable. (which is unlikely in the long run, because the grid is antiquated and cannot maintain the projected exponential load).
However, that long term problem could've been avoided by placing gas microturbines in slack areas. Care to guess how many communities opted for that? (hint, almost none)
Which is why, as I've mentioned umpteen times before, my wishful, ideal plan is to put up a self-sufficient solar farm in a warm climate, augmented by wind or water, and let the whole world go fuck itself.
Some people even get their shit efficient enough so's their electric meter spins backwards, and they get a paycheck from the electric company, instead of a bill. That'd be nice.