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" The stuff is cheap and readily available..."

I work in power generation and have previously operated a super-critical coal-plant that was recently shut down. I've since had to move over to combined cycle units that operate primarily on natural gas.

All of the environmental stuff was certainly a strain on the coal industry, but the real kick in the gut came from the fracking process of natural gas. Because of fracking, the availability of natural gas jumped up considerably, which in turn drove down the per megawatt costs of power generation using that fuel (supply and demand). In other words, it became cheaper and more profitable to use natural gas than to use coal.

This not only hurt the coal industry, but it is effecting nuclear power generation as well.

The glory days of coal are not coming back, even if the global warming fruitcakes gave up their fight for regulation. Ironically, their fight to ban fracking, if successful, would actually help revive coal tremendously. Ha.

The question I have about the use of natural gas for power generation is this...How is the use of natural gas for power generation affecting the price of it for home heating & cooking?
Seems to me that I pay an awful lot more for it than I should & all I have is a gas furnace & a water heater. Our electricity is no big bargain either,but that’s a whole other story. Of course,I am basing all this on available spendable income. Naturally,I surely cannot afford to changeover to coal burning in place of what I now use natural gas for. Can anyone answer my question?

" I've since had to move over to combined cycle units that operate primarily on natural gas."

I was trained in the industry and was on the design side for almost 10 yrs. Yes Combined Cycle is quite amazing. Thermal efficiencies 50% or in Siemens case up to 61%. 15% of Michigan's energy comes from a Dow/Utility in Midland that is Combined Cycle. Yes coal might be waning, I read a while back some researchers were saying it might be better utilized as seed corn for the electronics industries and what they were proposing was way above my pay-grade, but to think refined coal used in circuit boards, batteries etc etc is quite a game changer, love to see it in my lifetime.