Christmas tradition has threatened a "lump of coal" in the stocking for those who've been naughty. With the challenges facing our economy and energy infrastructure, coal should be given to those who've been nice.

For starters, when looking at raw energy sources, coal is easier to get into a sock than uranium, gasoline or natural gas. And from a practical point of view, there just aren't enough wind turbines, solar panels or ethanol to provide energy for everyone who has been on their best behavior this holiday season.

More important, putting coal into the stockings of millions of Pennsylvanians wouldn't put much of a dent in our supply. Coal can serve our nation's energy needs through the next 250 Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and New Years celebrations with nearly 12 billion tons of recoverable reserves in Pennsylvania alone. This means that coal is helping the commonwealth to advance our country's energy independence.

Energy costs have doubled during the past five years, making Pennsylvania coal especially important to the people who need it most. Families making less than $50,000 a year now spend nearly 20 percent of their after-tax income on energy. Our poorest families spend almost half of their income on energy purchases. That doesn't leave much for other necessities, let alone holiday gifts and celebrations.

Coal generates Pennsylvania's lowest-cost power, whether it is used for business or industry, at home or to surf the Internet for presents. The fact that more than half of the electricity in Pennsylvania is generated by coal (56 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy) has helped curb energy inflation for both businesses and residents. Coal's contribution as a cost-effective and abundant resource make it a valuable energy asset.

As far as the environment is concerned, emissions from coal-based facilities have dropped by two-thirds over the past three decades even as demand for coal has doubled, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The net result: a cleaner environment and reliable electricity.

New clean-coal technologies and continuing investments in emissions-control systems also make coal part of the energy mix for the future. The future promise: an even cleaner environment, along with the fuel needed to meet increasing demand.

Coal adds billions of dollars to our economy all through the supply chain, starting with the jobs that are born here in Pennsylvania to mine and transport coal to electric utilities, and continuing to those commercial concerns that are brought to Pennsylvania to take advantage of our relatively competitive energy resources. It is a resource that creates far more economic spinoff than an army of toy-making elves.

If coal generation in Pennsylvania were to substantially decrease, huge job and economic losses would careen back down that chain. Both Penn State and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have conducted studies that estimate the positive impact of our coal resources, which inject billions of dollars into the economy and provide thousands of well-paying jobs.

So, go ahead. Put coal in the stocking of your favorite people. Tell them it's a gift that Pennsylvania cannot overlook in creating a balanced strategy to provide energy that is efficient and secure, and that spurs the economy while protecting the environment.