I doubt folks are going to welcome coal as a way to heat their homes. Coal produces soot. Soot does not go with today’s interior decorating trends. Another problem with coal is that it produces carbon monoxide. In other words, heating with coal has the potential to kill you. The good news is that when you are dead, you won't have to heat your home to stay warm.
The coal will power electric generation power plants.
However, my brother has heated his home with a high efficiency coal burning stove many times.
Coal contains a lot of energy.