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Most New Wind and Solar Projects Will be Cheaper Than Coal, Report Finds

posted by janrinok on Thursday June 24 2021, @09:22PM   
from the job-of-the-future-solar-panel-washer dept.

upstart writes:

Most new wind and solar projects will be cheaper than coal, report finds:

Almost two-thirds of wind and solar projects built globally last year will be able to generate cheaper electricity than even the world's cheapest new coal plants, according to a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).

The agency found that the falling cost of new windfarms and solar panels meant 62% of new renewable energy projects could undercut the cost of up to 800 gigawatts (GW) worth of coal plants, or almost enough to supply the UK's electricity needs 10 times over.

Solar power costs fell by 16% last year, according to the report, while the cost of onshore wind dropped 13% and offshore wind by 9%.

In less than a decade the cost of large-scale solar power has fallen by more than 85% while onshore wind has fallen almost 56% and offshore wind has declined by almost 48%. Francesco La Camera, Irena's director general, said the agency's latest research proved the world was "far beyond the tipping point of coal".

He said: "Today renewables are the cheapest source of power. Renewables present countries tied to coal with an economically attractive phase-out agenda that ensures they meet growing energy demand, while saving costs, adding jobs, boosting growth and meeting climate ambition."

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Original Submission

• Re:And that's not even counting the externalities! Re:And that's not even counting the externalities! (Score: 5, Interesting) by DeathMonkey on Thursday June 24 2021, @10:07PM (1 child)

  by DeathMonkey (1380) on Thursday June 24 2021, @10:07PM (#1148932) Journal

  This was only thirteen effing years ago! It sounds like a chapter in the Grapes of Wrath or something!

  Hundreds of Workers Who Cleaned Up the Country’s Worst Coal Ash Spill Are Now Sick and Dying [nrdc.org]

  Michael McCarthy had a new job, a baby at home, and another on the way. At age 45, he was, by his estimation, “fit as a fiddle.” Then, three days before Christmas 2008, more than 1.5 million tons of coal ash, a byproduct of coal combustion, broke out of a Tennessee power plant, pouring into the Emory and Clinch rivers and covering 300 acres, including the small community of Swan Pond, with a thick gray sludge. The muck, which contained toxic substances such as arsenic, lead, mercury, and radium, flooded about two dozen houses. McCarthy’s home was not one of them, but he was part of the crew handling the cleanup, an effort that lasted years.

  “I used to come home with the ash on me—on my clothes, in my hair, my ears, up my nose, my throat, on my boots, everywhere,” says McCarthy. “I came home and took care of my babies. I played with them and held them while I was contaminated.”

  Three months after the spill, McCarthy’s wife, Tina, became pregnant with their son, Jimmy. For the next five years Tina shook out her husband’s clothes on the porch, washed them with the family laundry, and swept the rest of the ash from the house.

  A decade later, the McCarthys are sick. According to a civil lawsuit against McCarthy’s former employer, Jacobs Engineering, LLC, they are suffering ailments linked to coal ash exposure. McCarthy has undergone three heart surgeries since 2012 and is plagued by breathing problems and chest pains. He also reports low testosterone levels, a condition that saps his energy and lowers his sex drive.

  Not an inexpensive incident!

  Parent

  Starting Score:	1		point
  Moderation		+3
  Interesting=2, Informative=1, Total=3
  Extra 'Interesting' Modifier		0
  Karma-Bonus Modifier		+1
  Total Score:		5

• Re:And that's not even counting the externalities! (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 25 2021, @12:24AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 25 2021, @12:24AM (#1148963)

  No, you don't understand: externalities are out there, just somewhere nebulous and not here; I don't know why you're fussing unnecessarily about them.

  Parent