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Friday, April 7th, 2017

Stunning drops in solar and wind costs turn global power market upside down

Author:     Joe Romm
Source:     Think Progress
Publication Date:     6 April 2017
 Link: Stunning drops in solar and wind costs turn global power market upside down
Stephan:   Here is some more good news about the transition out of the carbon energy era. Although the Trump administration is committed to protect carbon energy, the world as a whole is moving in a very different direction. As this report describes, "Unsubsidized renewables have become the cheapest source of new power — by far."

Last year, solar in Chile set a record low global price for unsubsidized electricity by any technology.
Credit: ACERA.

Stunning drops in the cost of wind and solar energy have turned the global power market upside down.

For years, opponents of renewable power, like President Donald Trump, have argued they simply aren’t affordable. The reality is quite different.

Unsubsidized renewables have become the cheapest source of new power — by far — in more and more countries, according to a new report from the United Nations and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).

Chart of the year: ‘Incredible’ price drops jumpstart clean energy revolution
New DOE report details latest advances in solar, wind, LED lights, batteries, and electric cars.thinkprogress.org

In just one year, the cost of solar generation worldwide dropped on average 17 percent, the report found. The average costs for onshore wind […]

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3 Comments

  1. Mark R on Friday, April 7, 2017 at 6:36 am

    Three words that sing in my ears. Cheapest. Unsubsidized. Renewables.

    Thumbs up!

  2. Rev. Dean on Friday, April 7, 2017 at 7:52 am

    Too bad the offers to switch to renewables here in Pa. are still above the cost of gas powered or coal powered or nuclear powered electricity. I really want to switch. With mountains on both sides of the valley I live in it would not be feasible to put solar on my roof, too. Wind is the answer here, but not enough towers have been built to utilize their power to bring our costs down. I do however keep my driving to a minimum of only a thousand miles a year on my two antique cars, so that makes me feel that I contribute less than most people. It is not how much your car pollutes that matters, it is how much you drive it. I never waste a trip, and only go anywhere when necessary. The young should adopt this attitude and stop joy riding, and car racing should be abolished as a sport. It is just a wasteful, useless sport that pollutes way too much.

  3. Rev. Dean on Friday, April 7, 2017 at 8:00 am

    P.S.: I should have mentioned that the military wastes a lot of fuel fighting useless wars and the navy just travels the oceans dumping trash as they go just to protect the shipping lanes with no recompense from the shippers themselves; it all comes out of our pockets as taxes. I think I’m going to quit paying taxes this year. I refuse to support this bloated government and it’s idiotic policies.