Or are they? Consol Energy Inc. doesnât believe so. At a time when coal-fired facilities are diminishing in number, the Southpointe-based energy company has ambitious plans to construct one at or near its Pennsylvania Mining Complex in Greene and Washington counties. And while coal has often been denounced as a notorious fossil fuel, a producer of climate-warming carbon emissions, Consol is viewing the resource as an ally that could be used at a plant that would result in zero carbon emissions â even negative emissions. The project may not reach fruition, but Consol â whose coal roots were sown in 1864, during the Civil War â is proceeding. If all goes well, the company hopes to have the plant operating in 2028.