Study Shows New Energy The Cheapest Buy

More bad news for coal: Wind and solar are getting cheaper

Matt Egan, March 25, 2019 (CNN)

“The simple laws of economics threaten to doom America's remaining coal power plants. Wind and solar costs have plunged so rapidly that 74% of the US coal fleet could be phased out for renewable energy -- and still save customers money…[According to an Energy Innovation report, 86% U.S. coal plants are at risk] by 2025 as solar and wind costs continue to plunge…[The report shows it is] increasingly more expensive to operate existing coal plants than build clean energy alternatives…[Despite the White promise to revive the beleaguered coal industry, 211 gigawatts of existing US coal capacity -- or 74% of America's fleet -- was at risk [in 2018] from local wind or solar [within 35 miles of plant locations] that could more cheaply churn out just as much electricity…

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North Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Texas are the US states that have the greatest amount of coal plants at risk…By 2025, Midwestern states including Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin are expected to have high amounts of coal capacity under pressure from renewable energy…[Though it may be economically feasible to shut down a coal plant and replace it with wind or solar, state] regulators must sign off on such decisions. And many power plants will decide to pass the extra costs on to customers…[And] coal is still a major employer in parts of Appalachia, making any shutdown potentially damaging to the local economy…[But] the share of total power generation from coal-fired power plants plunged from 48% in 2008 to just 28% last year…” click here for more

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