We didn’t make it this year to the Coaltrans USA conference last week in Miami, but we heard tell of some smart talk at the event by two of the industry’s CEOs, Bob Murray of Murray Energy and Kevin Crutchfield of Contura Energy, né Alpha Natural Resources...   

ONE POINT OF CONTENTION ACROSS THE INDUSTRY revolves around the viability of carbon capture and sequestration, the largely experimental notion that “clean coal” will save the day.

Crutchfield said no utility executive in his or her right mind would build a coal plant in the U.S. today, but argued for an era of innovation to pave the way for CCS. Murray says CCS is a waste of time, fully aware that the industry has a weak track record on innovation and probably lacks the DNA to change.

Both men were around during the second Bush administration when it canceled federal funding for a major CCS project because it was simply too expensive. And both know that the same administration canceled a 70-year-old federally subsidized coal plant program through the Department of Agriculture. They know, too, that the industry itself has spent precious few dollars on CCS, leaving the risks to ratepayers and shareholders of large utilities like Duke Energy and Southern Company.

Victoria's dirtiest power station will shut down permanently as early as next April, in a blow to the Latrobe Valley that could cost up to 1000 jobs.
The owner of the Hazelwood plant, French energy giant Engie, is expected to hold a board meeting on October 19 or 20 to finalise a decision to close the aging brown coal-fired plant.

This should have happened years ago. It's the dirtiest coal plant in Victoria, and probably in Australia. 

I wasn't sure where to post this. It's not new tech, it's closing old tech. Nor is it government policy. The owners have made the choice to shut it down.

Start here but there are widgets that give near real time pictorial

or alternative (no widgets)

http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

A cost  varies considerably from the number of operational years 12 years warranted figure used is guestimate

This is an oldish small turbine.

Are more modern windfarms more financially efficient?

Any figures out there?? 

Balancing costs and short term reserves are from uk parliament

conventional backup  national grid

others from https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/balloo_wood_wind_turbine

Two interesting takes on it

http://www.vox.com/2016/9/8/12847160/costa-rica-renewable-electricity

And an uncharacteristically circumspect one from the guardian from a year ago  

It always fascinating reading articles that start with a headline that begins "the truth"

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/30/truth-behind-costa-rica-renewable-energy-reservoirs-climate-change