Contemporary Coal Power plant

well the post are interesting, there are few sites on the web that doesn't focus on the negativity alone of coal. albeit, I think it would be ok if we could open a discussion on other alternative sources for power.
coal power, yes, it is the now solution for power. But I'm open to the thought of "coal is not a permanent solution".

Wind power is the fastest-growing form of electricity generation in the United States, accounting for 42 percent of all new generation in 2008. Solar energy employs more than 20,000 Americans in high-tech, high-paying jobs. And millions of Americans are now powering their homes with clean electricity that doesn't produce any global warming pollution.

A recent economic analysis shows that investing $100 billion in clean energy would create two million new jobs nationwide over two years -- four times as many as the same investment in traditional fuels.

In fact, investing in energy efficiency makes far more economic sense than building new power plants. Making just 5 percent of American homes twice as energy efficient per year would eliminate the need for almost 300 power plants by 2030 and save American consumers billions in energy costs.

========my own personal note^_^

Clearly renewable energy is on it's way... But we have to put into consideration that wind and solar energy are "intermittent power sources" indicating that power can be harnessed under conditions. Take for wind power as example, it will require to build 3 times more to generate power equal to the fossil fuel power plants. Solar also takes up approx. 2hectares of land to produce 1MW... But with further research hopefully it would make wind or solar power a reliable power source.