As someone who had worked with the power industry, I hope we have organizations in place with the power and wisdom to insure this transition from coal is done in a sustainable fashion. The power industry, Wall Street and environmental groups basically pull in different directions - and swing to the extremes. We need powerful organizations involved in the decision making process that can watch out for our long-term interests and security.
There's no one more supportive of the transition away from coal than me. However, I do believe we may have to maintain some reserve capacity in coal-fired plants until we're certain that gas supplies can be sustainable without again becoming primarily reliant on foreign sources (from oil and LNG - liquefied natural gas). Just look at Europe's fears of Russia having control over their primary gas supplies!
The US at this time does not have the political will to fully support build-out of massive solar, wind and geothermal sources, and nuclear fusion seems a long way off. Instead, we've become enchanted with natural gas, which will someday run into limits of (economical) supply, and which does pollute the air - although at a much smaller extent than coal. Just like with oil, we don't want to suck the earth dry of fossil-based energy products. We're always going to need some amounts of petrochemicals for things other than energy.
The other area America must intently focus on is energy efficiency. We're the largest per-capita energy consumer on the planet - somewhat spoiled if you will. Cutting back on power usage, modifying our homes for better efficiency, driving less, consuming less plastics, etc., requires daily dedication from the general public, along with strong regulations where necessary.
The current administration in Washington is walking us in reverse for accomplishing these goals, and cares less about the public's health or long-term interests.
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