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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

Solar energy pricing is at an all-time low, according to a new report released by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory [phys.org] (Berkeley Lab). Driven by lower installed costs, improved project performance, and a race to build projects ahead of a reduction in a key federal incentive, utility-scale solar project developers have been negotiating power sales agreements with utilities at prices averaging just 5¢/kWh. These prices reflect receipt of the 30% federal investment tax credit, which is scheduled to decline to 10% after 2016, and would be higher if not for that incentive. By comparison, average wholesale electricity prices across the United States ranged from 3 to 6 cents/kWh in 2014, depending on the region.

More key findings and detail in the article. The full report in the form of a PowerPoint presentation and Excel spreadsheet can be downloaded at utilityscalesolar.lbl.gov/ [soylentnews.org].

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