>>> How about some manufacturing jobs for solar panels and such?
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>Certainly I believe that a solar array would be cheap, easily maintained and highly productive in the endless wastelands of Arizona or similar, unlike snowy cloudy German cities where it was a stupid idea.

True. As the technology gets better, more efficient solar panels could help some...and there is always wind turbines and other renewable sources.

>In the meantime my power utility buddies tell me you always need something to burn because nothing else can react as quickly- even nukes whose economics don't always allow spare capacity for a rainy day.
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>The US has burned a lot of coal but natural gas is cheap enough in the US today that the coal advantage is slim, which actually has caused a huge decrease in US emissions because gas burns so much cleaner. Unless coal can come up with very clean burners and cheaper extraction, good business dictates that its renaissance may be short-lived.

Coal burning plants in the USA have been shutting down for a while - more are planned for this year (at least 2 that I know of) - -and thus the coal mines are being abandoned too. As you pointed out the natural gas is cheaper and cleaner. Coal is not ever going to come back - it's days are done. It's kinda like the buggy whip -- everyone needed one and everyone bought them. Then along came the automobile....kinda put the end to the buggy whip business. Sure there are a few makers of buggy whips -- but it's days are over.
Coal is out -- there is natural gas, wind power, solar power, etc. Meanwhile president Trump claims he will will bring back the coal industry and that coal is cleaner than anything because they "wash the beautiful coal to make it clean, so we have clean coal because they take the dirty coal and wash it". f_ing idiot. ...meanwhile he gets rid of regulations so they can pump more poison into the air we breath and the water we drink in a futile attempt to bring back coal. As for those loosing their jobs - like the coal miners - sure you have to worry about them too. I would think that if I had to choose between going down into a dangerous dark hole and getting black lung disease at a coal mine vs working in nice clean factory above ground making solar panels I would take the latter of the two.