re: They burn coal because it's there.
"No more or less than that. If you want to talk about why they don't have more nuclear power systems, that's another subject."
Why is it another subject? If we had more nuclear reactors operating in this country, then instead of having in Tennessee 66% coal, you might have 50% coal. And we have no coal use for California and other places.
I generally think coal should used in areas where it's mined- it's more economical if you don't need to ship the vast bulk of coal over large distance needed for plant station. Not only that but coal producers will have more political incentive to have cleaner coal power plants