there are at least 4 mine mouth coal fired power plants in ND.
1 at center ND, 2 near beluah ND and 1 near underwood ND. These plants all burn nd Lignite ( a low grade of coal)

Do to federal regulation on sulphur,mercury ( this would be from the 70's clean air legislation) many older coal powered plants in the Eastern part of the US, switched to Power river basin coal( prb) althought these plants used to burn bitimous coal from Illinios, virgina, and other eastern states the operating companies believed it to be cheaper to switch to prb coal then to refit/install new expensive emission equiptment.

as far as NG for car/vechile fuel.if this fuel was as readilly available as gasoline , the car driving public i believe would convert to it.. But the gas stations ( which until 25 years ago ) were all small mom/pop business had no incentive to switch, or to add this fuel..Today with the huge oil companies owning a lot of the stations, why would they add this extra fuel( and the cost associated with it ) unless they are forced to ( either by law or by economics).. JMHO don