For decades, the burning of coal to generate electricity has seemed destined for the dustbin of history. What good is a fuel that emits into the atmosphere twice as much carbon dioxide (CO2) — considered the worst of the greenhouse gases — as does natural gas? Britain, for instance, once hoped to reduce its reliance on

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nginx/1.14.0 (Ubuntu) coal-generated power from around 32% to 16% by 2020 as part of its plan to cut carbon emissions by 60% by 2050.

And yet, by all indications, coal seems poised for a comeback. Thanks to high natural-gas prices,...