Coal is making a comeback as a home heating fuel in the Northeast, Midwest, and Alaska, because it is cheap, plentiful, and locally-mined.

According to the New York Times:

Burning coal at home was once commonplace, of course, but the practice had been declining for decades. Coal consumption for residential use hit a low of 258,000 tons in 2006 — then started to rise. It jumped 9 percent in 2007, according to the Energy Information Administration, and 10 percent more in the first eight months of 2008.

Retailers of home indoor coal stoves have seen the greatest sales increase in 30 years, and many models are on backorder until March.

Image:  Jen SFO-BCN on Flickr under a Creative Commons License