Since this is a friggiin train site, my only advice is to get your coal train shots, while you can.

Gas is just soooooo much cheaper, so most of this post is blowing "smoke".... Conspiracy theories about how regulations aren't stopping any "clean" coal, prices are driving this, and China is doing it, too.

And, the last time I checked, no matter how much crap like sulfur or NOx you can "scrub" it is yet another significant added cost to use coal, that does nothing for the fact that coal still produces 2-3 times as much CO2, than gas. So "cleaner" compared to what and at what prices.

I also think that there is some interesting new technology nuclear plants are feasible, and would be useful for peak load availability and stability,, which have way less risk than the current generation of reactors. But I also see huge breakthrough in cheap large scale and economical battery technologies, and most important much less energy intensive lighting, cooling, appliances, business equipment, and entertainment, as probably the biggest things reducing electrical consumption per capita, and changing our lifestyles permanently around the world. Which is why China is one of the biggest and cheapest producers of things like solar panels and LED bulbs.

Since we haven't completely blown up the world with China this week, I think we will continue to see more rail shipment "clean" American western power coal, in the mid term (next 5 years or so) for export to China, through certain west coast ports, to reduce the sulfur suffocating China's cities.