From Turkey's smart grid spending plans (and what they could mean for U.S. companies) to tumbling renewable prices in Australia (and what they could mean for coal plants) we've got a quick look at some interesting new developments near and far. Scroll down and onto page 2 for details.

Turkey will spend $5 billion on smart grids by 2015, according to a Bloomberg article. Quoting the U.S. consulate in Istanbul, the article suggests there will be "substantial opportunities" for North American energy and smart grid technology companies to establish closer relations with the Turkish government. "If the utilities want to take advantage of this, the accurate metering and billing that smart grids can provide will be vital," said Chris Rogers, a utilities analyst for Bloomberg Industries in London. "As Turkey becomes richer, more air- conditioning, solar power and electric vehicles will be bought, which also need smart grids to function properly." Read more >>

Tumbling renewable energy prices in Australia could make dirty coal extinct, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, which also notes that in parts of Australia electricity demand is at eight and 10-year lows. ‘‘Nobody in their right mind would be building coal-fired power plants now,’’ said Mike Sandiford, director of the Melbourne Energy Institute. Read more >>