Modern coal plants built alongside algae farms where the expelled CO2 is converted into biodiesel offer a real energy option in the future. Another application for this CO2 is in greenhouses to accelerate plant growth. Also, CO2 is used in other applications. The real challenge is not eliminating coal plants but innovating technologies that use the CO2. If you made capturing CO2 and delivering it an end, use profitable, coal plant CO2 emissions would virtually cease.

As a society we need to stop viewing CO2 as "pollution" and instead view it as wasted and virtually "free" resource. Another reason we need engineers not political science majors developing our nation's energy policies.

The links below offer a peak into the potential of coal as part of our future energy mix.

https://agronomag.com/the-economic-benefits-of-algae-farms/

https://www.fastcompany.com/1765377/dirty-coal-and-algae-fuel-start-beautiful-friendship

https://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/dspace/handle/10161/2231

I am not anti-solar; I have 32 panels on my roof and plan on adding another 8 soon. But I am also not anti-coal, oil, gas, hydro, nuclear, or geothermal. A more holistic strategy optimizing the benefits of each energy source and recycling the waste produced by each process is the key to a effective energy policy. I am a bit worried at what appears to be a lack of effort in figuring out how to recycle batteries, solar panels, and wind turbine blades. Meanwhile, only recently has some effort gone into recycling coal "ash".

If I were a young man, I think the future will be turn in turning "garbage" into gold, whether that is CO2 emissions, disposed of batteries, dirty wastewater, etc. Humans produce so much waste, that we represent an endless source of wealth for the person that can turn it into gold. Of course, when someone figures that out, we will turn on that person for becoming the next billionaire.