I think it all comes down to practicality.
Hypothetically speaking, coal might be less efficient but more abundant/easier to acquire for entity 1, but for entity 2 the opposite may be true.
I don’t believe it is wise to put all eggs in one basket. Not only do I support a diverse portfolio, but I think an entity would be wise to have capacity of 120% in relation to usage. To word it another way, using only 80% of what you can actually store; whether we’re talking a house heated by propane or a nation that runs on dunkin, you need an emergency buffer.
Today I was looking at 3 horse head oil wells near me, all three in the middle of crop fields. Compared to coal, oil wells are very noninvasive. Similarly we have natural gas wells everywhere, if you know how to recognize them. In metro Detroit there is a hotel that has a natural gas well in the middle if its parking lot. It’s fenced off, but, they’re everywhere. Corn fields, church property, parking lots, everywhere.
Coal requires expansive mines.
They all, except maybe for natural gas, have extremely useful byproducts too. I often think about how different the world would be without things like acetone, asphalt, turpentine, nylon, velcro, and polyester. In fact, if I could listen to one of those activists rant & ask just one question, it would be why are they wearing polyester if they hate fossil fuels? I’m 90% sure I’d get a confused look from them, oblivious to the implications of what they’re pushing.
I’ve said it before; if you want to turn back the Industrial Revolution, 1736 is where you end up. And if you want to live that way, you’re free to right meow. But I kind of like modern advancements such as air bags, seat belts, waterproof roofing, and pharmaceuticals to fight illness. If you hate fossil fuels, stop using a var seat for your kid, a seatbelt for yourself, a padded sofa to sit on, a smartphone to call your friends, etc.