Now GE sells wind turbines, smart grid systems and oil and gas technology around the world, as well as the big gas power turbines that made it an industry leader in the U.S. a long time ago.

FORBES: Connect

America, the world's second-biggest coal producer after China, has mammoth reserves and a power industry that is turning against coal (currently responsible for almost half of domestic electricity generation).

ECONOMIST: What is good news for miners is bad news for the environment