Given the failure of the SA power network due to insufficient baseload generation, the looming closure of Hazelwood that would Victoria with a peak power deficit, and power prices soaring, it is time to look at building relatively cheap and efficient baseload generation.

Given that for the short to medium term that nuclear power will remain unpalatable for the electorate, and the soaring price of gas, the use of coal in as efficient a manner as possible seems to be the most viable option.

Advances in boilers and generators have enable huge advances in efficiency over designs from a few decades ago with the new super critical power stations designs producing power 20% more efficiently than designs a few decades ago, 40% more efficiently than the 40yr old black coal generators that make up much of NSW's existing fleet, and producing roughly 1/3rd of the GHG of brown coal plants like Hazelwood.

For example, replacing the existing coal fired power stations with new super critical units would more than meet the reductions given by the 23% renewables target by 2020 without the angst or expense.

Well of course we had cheap and efficient base load power before the climate maniacs put a stop to it. Yes, SM, back to the future.

Greens religion wants us going back 200 years. And they have the nerve to call themselves 'progressive'. Still the people including conservatives have allowed the swamp to be filled with deviants, pseudo scientist and spoilt young brats. How gutless the Liberals were to allow the tax payer funded abc to get away with its socialist dogmas for years. Now we are all paying. The swamp is full and desperately needs draining. People are so deperate they are now turning to Pauline. Sad that it has come to this.

It seems that the gas generator operator said he needed 4 hours to get going but later that night said: no, it only needed 1 hour. Then too much was switched off when some reserve power was available. It appears the humans were the nut behind the wheel.

The whole energy target is a complete and utter sham, because even if we did reduce our coal usage, in fact, if we turned the lights out completely, it would hardly make one iota of a difference and, if we turn to smarter battery power, guess who's going to make these, using more coal fired energy in the process, supplied by guess who, us! It's a joke beyond belief.

I think we are at grave risk of being taken over by city dwelling apartment dwellers who's biggest choice in the day is 'decaf, or regular', as they wonder how they are going to cope working their 9-5 jobs. I guess they will first have to succeed with their blind-sided quest, and lose their jobs before they realise we are a nation, that without coal, will make them realise just how significant their daily choice was.

Perhaps it's already too late and these people have to forgo their late', borrow or hire an electric car, go for a long drive to where the farms and mines are and see just what is behind so much of their lives they take for granted.

Perhaps we need a mandatory education course for those entering the workforce and call it 'what makes my country tick'. Because these city dwellers, who make up the lion share of activists, are just so out of touch it's not funny. They also need to be made aware we export well over 50% of what we produce, because we have to.

I was expecting some greenie trotting off how no one will invest in coal fired power stations when Germany, China and Japan are building over 100 of these high efficiency stations to meet their baseload needs.

I think the greens want to take us back to the age of candles.