Coal is in suffering a natural death.  That happens because of the evolution of fracking, particularly in regards to natural gas supplies.  Nothing in energy is cleaner for the environment.  Nothing is cheaper to produce nor more abundant.  It makes us energy independent even if we cease producing oil, which is not likely.   

An Obama-oriented administration will kill this golden, in my opinion.  And it will block other forms of economic independence as well, including that offered by battery metals (which merely trades one form of industrial pollution for another).