There are signs utilities are buying more coal this year than last thanks to a late-year surge in natural gas prices, but the black rock still isn’t expected to regain its crown from gas as the leading fuel source for power generation. That’s even as President Donald Trump has said repeatedly that he wants a revival of coal production, a dirtier fuel than gas that has seen its fortunes decline thanks to a shale boom that has boosted gas production. Gas prices rose in late December, and analysts have been predicting an improved outlook for 2017 for coal, as higher gas prices make coal the cheaper fuel for some power generators, according to analysts and government studies. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) said on […]