How will Germany's hastened exit from coal affect villages near mines?

The lignite-fired power station Neurath in western Germany at sunset. Photo: Federico Gambarini/dpa

You can see the white clouds of steam rising from the coal plant from dozens of kilometres away on the flat landscape of Germany's Rhine area.

The power station in the lignite mining area west of Cologne generates electricity round the clock for the European grid and is expected to keep puffing away for some years yet.