
New Wind and Solar Power Is Cheaper Than Existing Coal - apsec112
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/25032019/coal-energy-costs-analysis-wind-solar-power-cheaper-ohio-valley-southeast-colorado
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wysinwyw
It's instructive to compare this list comparing the carbon intensity of
electricity generation by state:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Carbon_Intensity_of_Eletr...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Carbon_Intensity_of_Eletricity_by_State.svg)
to this list of the cost of electricity by state:
[http://www.neo.ne.gov/programs/stats/inf/204.htm](http://www.neo.ne.gov/programs/stats/inf/204.htm)
Objectively, electricity costs the most in states that have the lowest carbon
intensity of generation, i.e. the highest share of wind and solar. The
correlation is off the charts. Any analysis that says that wind and solar are
cheaper than fossil fuels that doesn't address this simple, objective fact is
a snow job. (The outliers are Washington and Oregon -- because those states
use hydropower instead of solar or wind.)

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pacerwpg
The article was comparing coal costs vs Solar and Wind. Carbon output from
fossil fuels suggests not only coal, but also oil and natural gas.

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wysinwyw
Coal is much cheaper than oil and comparable to natural gas.
[https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/update/resource_use....](https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/update/resource_use.php)

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woodandsteel
Oil is a very small part of electric generation. Natural gas has gotten a lot
cheaper than coal, which is why so many coal plants are being shut down.

More recently, renewable has started to get cheaper than natural gas.

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crmrc114
Direct links to study data mentioned in the article:

[https://energyinnovation.org/wp-
content/uploads/2019/03/Coal...](https://energyinnovation.org/wp-
content/uploads/2019/03/Coal-Cost-Crossover_Energy-Innovation_VCE_FINAL.pdf)

[https://energyinnovation.org/wp-
content/uploads/2019/03/Coal...](https://energyinnovation.org/wp-
content/uploads/2019/03/Coal-Cost-Crossover-National-Dataset.xlsx)

~~~
crmrc114
Looks like cost calculations were done with "NREL ATB low"

[https://atb.nrel.gov/electricity/2019/changes.html](https://atb.nrel.gov/electricity/2019/changes.html)

Example for wind: "The Low cost case was updated to reflect recent bottom-up
analysis regarding the potential of R&D to enable significant cost
reductions."

So basically we made a model based on vaporware. I am not sure how much I
trust the idea that we can mine enough rare earth elements for PV cells to
make it cheaper than coal. Not to mention the cost of energy storage needed
for renewable sources.

We all want green energy- but I really find it hard to believe the claims made
in this report. At least right now.

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woodandsteel
This is why Trump's plan to save coal is going to be a total failure.

