From coast to coast, plans for a new generation of coal-fired power plants are falling by the wayside as states conclude that conventional coal plants are too dirty to build and the cost of cleaner plants is too high... Coal plants have come under fire because coal is a big source of carbon dioxide, the main gas blamed for global warming... On Monday, Steve Leer, chief executive of Arch Coal Inc., said some of the power plants he had expected to be built "may get stalled due to the uncertainty over climate concerns."... Washington [state] has followed California in prohibiting utilities from entering into arrangements to obtain electricity from plants that aren't as clean as modern gas-burning plants. The intent is to discourage construction of conventional coal-fired plants... [also refers to buyout of TXU; International Coal Group, Florida Power & Light (part of FPL Group), Northern States Power (part of Xcel), Pacificorp (part of Berkshire Hathaway), Public Service of Colorado (part of Xcel)]