Trump won't be able to reverse coal's fortunes

Austin, Texas

DONALD Trump made many important campaign promises on his way to victory. But saving coal is one promise he won't be able to keep.

Many in Appalachia and other coal-mining regions believe that President Barack Obama's supposed war on coal caused a steep decline in the industry's fortunes. But coal's struggles to compete are caused by cheap natural gas, cheap renewables, air-quality regulations that got their start in the George W Bush administration and weaker-than-expected demand for coal in Asia.

Nationwide, coal employment peaked in the 1920s. The more recent decline in Appalachian coal employment started in the 1…