"America's dash for shale created a glut of cheap imports that Kellingley coal simply couldn't compete against.
But, of course, that's not the whole story. Environmentally, coal could only have had a long-term future if we'd developed and perfected Carbon Capture and Storage (CSS), and plans for that were shelved earlier this year. And that's where it does get interesting.
The current government is pushing shale as the potential stop gap, but the industry-backed Task Force on Shale has said gas, like coal, has no real longevity without CCS".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-35124077