According to a major new study, the clock is running out for coal energy. Around three-quarters of US coal production is now more expensive than solar and wind energy in providing electricity to American households. The study’s authors used public financial filings and data from the Energy Information Agency to work out the cost of energy from coal plants compared with wind and solar options within a 35-mile radius. They found that 211 gigawatts of current US coal capacity, 74 percent of the coal fleet, is providing electricity that’s more expensive than wind or solar. By 2025 the picture becomes even clearer, with nearly the entire US coal system out-competed on cost by wind and solar, even when factoring in the construction of new wind turbines and solar panels. If it weren’t for the staunch institutional support that coal receives from the current president, the transition to renewables from coal would be happening much quicker in America.
New study finds solar or wind energy is cheaper than coal in most of America
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