In Western Australia, the Government Is Preparing for the Future After Announcing the Closure of Its Publicly Owned Coal-fired Power Plants

The mining town of Collie, home to three thermal power stations, aims to become a model for a successful energy and economic transition. For a few seconds, the deafening noise of an explosive charge drowns out the steady drip of water falling at regular intervals. When the ground stops shaking, a new mining face appears in a cloud of dust.

The dull pounding of hammers resumes. The omnipresence of "danger" signs heightens the oppressive feeling emanating from the dark mining tunnel. This gallery, with its soot-colored walls, offers visitors to the Collie tourist office an immersive experience on this late July morning.

It has been recreated in the building's basement to immerse them in the past of the Australian town of 7,000 inhabitants, located some 200 kilometers southeast of Perth, in the state of Western Australia. The town, emblematic of the mining country, has developed around the coal industry since the late 19th century and intends to continue leaving its mark on history. It now aspires to be a model for a successful energy and economic transition as the island-continent rapidly turns toward renewables. The rest of the article is reserved for subscribers.