Where once there was coal smog, a cloud of uncertainty now hangs over Lithgow

A spokesperson for Hong Kong-owned EnergyAustralia said it was impossible to say with any certainty when Mount Piper might close.

Earlier this month, the company said it was studying the feasibility of a giant 500MW battery for the Mount Piper site. If approved, it could power about 200,000 homes for four hours a day by the end of 2026.

At stake are the jobs of more than 300 miners at both Springvale and Clarence, and many more supported by suppliers. Maloney says miners who earn an average of about $120,000 a year would be lucky to make half that in other fields if the mines close.

Thailand-owned Centennial says it employs about 830 people and contributes hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the local economy.

Supporters of the project include the local business group Back to Basics, of which Maloney is a member, and the Black Gold Motel, located right next to the partly demolished power station.

His mother, Linda, is more to the point: nobody worried when the power station was next door, raining ash and other material on them.