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Note: the following is based on my experience in C3C (specifically, under the 1.12 and 1.15 beta patches). I haven't verified whether it works the same way in earlier versions.
I often build at least a few coal plants even when I expect to build the Hoover Dam later on the same continent. I'm especially likely to build coal plants in wonder cities, and I sometimes also build them in other places where I expect them to add enough production before Hoover is complete to be worth building. And for a long time, I just left those coal plants lying around after the Hoover Dam was finished.
But recently, I realized something: those coal plants that are sitting around being redundent cost three gold per turn each to maintain. Multiply that by a few plants and the drain on the economy can be big enough to make a difference.
For players who don't expect to get Recycling, unless there is a meaningful risk that the Hoover Dam city might be captured or destroyed at some point, it makes sense to go ahead and sell any coal plants that have been built on the same continent as soon as the Hoover Dam is complete. For those who do expect to get Recycling at some point, it may make more sense to keep the coal plant around in order to get shields as well as gold from selling it, but going ahead and selling the coal plant immediately may make more sense if there is a short-term cash crunch.
I've also thought of another trick regarding power plants that could be used, although I don't think I've used it myself yet. Since one power plant replaces another so you never have two at the same time (aside from the virtual power plants from Hoover), it may be profitable to sell a power plant the turn before its replacement is finished if doing without a power plant for a turn won't slow down the new one. That could be good for a few extra gold. (And with Recycling, the shields from selling the old plant will actually be more than the plant would have added to the city's production. Thus, under some circumstances, selling the old plant could actually shave a turn off the production of its replacement.)
Nathan
I often build at least a few coal plants even when I expect to build the Hoover Dam later on the same continent. I'm especially likely to build coal plants in wonder cities, and I sometimes also build them in other places where I expect them to add enough production before Hoover is complete to be worth building. And for a long time, I just left those coal plants lying around after the Hoover Dam was finished.
But recently, I realized something: those coal plants that are sitting around being redundent cost three gold per turn each to maintain. Multiply that by a few plants and the drain on the economy can be big enough to make a difference.
For players who don't expect to get Recycling, unless there is a meaningful risk that the Hoover Dam city might be captured or destroyed at some point, it makes sense to go ahead and sell any coal plants that have been built on the same continent as soon as the Hoover Dam is complete. For those who do expect to get Recycling at some point, it may make more sense to keep the coal plant around in order to get shields as well as gold from selling it, but going ahead and selling the coal plant immediately may make more sense if there is a short-term cash crunch.
I've also thought of another trick regarding power plants that could be used, although I don't think I've used it myself yet. Since one power plant replaces another so you never have two at the same time (aside from the virtual power plants from Hoover), it may be profitable to sell a power plant the turn before its replacement is finished if doing without a power plant for a turn won't slow down the new one. That could be good for a few extra gold. (And with Recycling, the shields from selling the old plant will actually be more than the plant would have added to the city's production. Thus, under some circumstances, selling the old plant could actually shave a turn off the production of its replacement.)
Nathan
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