Dangerously hooked on power

The Murray-Darling Basin needs more water in it to satisfy the legitimate demand (Dangerously hooked on power, February 4).
Similarly, the golden power grid can carry the power which can be generated on demand (no peaking stations) simply by gasifying the coal, burning the gas in super critical boilers producing 5.19 MWh per tonne of brown or black coal, versus 2.0 MWh at present. The ash can very useful.
Do this and the price of power can be reduced, or emissions free power can be generated from coal at no price increase.
The gas has lots of uses apart from generating power.
Scrap the onerous smart meters and use the money to increase power generation, both as above and investigating a system, under test, which generates limitless power with nil emissions and a cost estimate between one cent to three cents per KWh.
We are needlessly crucifying our industries when we need high power usage in the metal industries, vehicles and automation.

The key point here at least in the case of NSW is the state govt's addiction to dividend from the power companies (and water utlities as well). In the name of network infrastructure investment, they find it politically easier to raise revenue this way rather than increasing taxes (Dangerously hooked on power, February 4). Peak power demand is old story. We all now know that peak demand has actually fallen while the investment on poles and wires continued. Clearly regulation of prices under current legislation has failed. The answer is not smart meters and degregulation.. It will only make the problem for consumer more complicated . The last thing we need is power suppliers coming up with billing plans like the telecom companies deliberately designed to confuse the consumer in the name of more choice. Coming up with a legislation to effectively regulate the power industry is not rocket science. But requires political will and honesty on the part of the governments.

@John Martin, please provide some references about the technology, practicality and stage of development for this amazing "system, under test, which generates limitless power with nil emissions and a cost estimate between one cent to three cents per KWh" otherwise we're all quite entitled to be sceptical about it (Dangerously hooked on power, February 4).

As John mentioned, the way to increase energy production must be rapid, not by burning coal but by gas injection at critical periods (Dangerously hooked on power, February 4).
We need new ideas, not beautifying a dead body.

Naturally the ESA claim is dishonest and self-serving, just as the industry undoubtedly did much to promote the idea of an obsolete infrastructure (Dangerously hooked on power, February 4).
Power is not produced more efficiently or sold more cheaply in Victoria, notwithstanding Hard Right/ESA claims. It is in fact more expensive because the producers have to cover the extra costs arising from having paid far too much.
Victoria's State Electricity Commission operated from 1926 to 1998. In every single year it reduced the real price of power to customers
ABARES in 2009 assessed that Australia had low electricity prices compared with most other OECD countries for both residential and industrial customers. NUS Consulting Group in its 2011 International Electricity Report and Price Survey found that Australia’s prices were at the lower end of the range of developed countries - 12th most expensive out of the 16 countries surveyed.

In 2011(?) the Bligh Govt, in need of more money, increased the cost of water to the Tarong power station from $200 to $3000 per mega litre. An overnight increase of 1500%. I wonder how much of an influence this had on the price of power in Qld. (Dangerously hooked on power, February 4)