The U.S. has a large pool of available labor, abundant raw materials and falling energy costs, said Paul van Eeden, president of Cranberry Capital, a private Canadian holding company.

FORBES: INTERVIEW: Cranberry Capital's Van Eeden Bullish On U.S., Crude Oil Price, Not Gold

Coal has dominated the U.S. power industry for so long because it's a cheap and abundant domestic resource.

MSN: Coal producers find themselves in a hard place

"We have an abundant supply of low skilled labor waiting for jobs, " argued Peter Kirsanow, a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

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