Here is what I'd like to see, a landfill zone with attached power plant that burns the methane. The more the garbage, the more power produced.
Also, I'd like to see growable waterfront landfill, like the SF Bay Area. As the garbage is layed out, the landfill pushes out into the water, leaving developable land behind it.
Whatever happened to the nifty rivers and hydroelectric dams like in SC2? I miss those. I miss the desalination plants and the pumps that output more when placed near fresh water.
"Every great achievement is the result of dozens of trivial events. Every great idea is the result of hundreds of trivial observations."
Your first idea is basically what the waste-to-power plant does (minus landfill part). You could build a landfill and a natural gas power plant and enact the landfill gas recovery ordinance.
We can't really do anything like your second idea, since the zones are hardwired in the .exe, which we can't modify.
Peg has made two different hydroelectric dams. The first one I think also increased the water output (I don't remember exactly). I don't think anyone's ever made any desaltination plants, but it doesn't matter because water seems to have no effect on pumps anyway. &mmm
You'll need to register at Peg's site first: Here (http://www.simpeg.com/forum/index.php?action=register)
PEG HydroElectric Dam (http://www.simpeg.com/forum/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=83)
Peg Hydro Dam - Small (http://www.simpeg.com/forum/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=431)
Well, there are actually a couple of Desalination Plants around on the STEX. Not sure if it's what you're looking for, but here goes:
http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=3684
http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=19952
http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=44