Clean Energy: The way forward

As the United States and the rest of the globe become less reliant on coal as a fuel source, it's important to remember that there are other dirty fuel industries backed by strong lobbies that are more than willing to take its place. But if we consider the urgency of climate change, we can't compromise by using slightly less dirty fuel sources as a way to "transition" from coal. 

Solar and wind energy are both sustainable and reliable, although the dirty fuel industries would argue otherwise. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists:

The authorities responsible for operating the nation’s power grid – regional transmission organizations and independent system operators – have all published or participated in studies evaluating how increased renewable energy supplies would affect the electricity system. These studies have overwhelmingly shown that higher levels of renewable energy can be achieved regionally without affecting the reliability of electricity supplies. They also highlight that ramping up renewables can result in significant cuts in global warming pollution. (Source)