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Solar is now ‘cheapest electricity in history’ https://www.carbonbrief.org/solar-is-now-cheapest-electricity-in-history-confirms-iea https://www.carbonbrief.or

Solar is now ‘cheapest electricity in history’ https://www.carbonbrief.org/solar-is-now-cheapest-electricity-in-history-confirms-iea https://www.carbonbrief.org/solar-is-now-cheapest-electricit... New solar is now often cheaper than keeping a coal plant running https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/23/most-new-wind-solar-projects-cheaper-than-coal-report https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/23/most-new... And we should expect solar to get even cheaper.

hcurtiss 5y ago
When the sun is out. And when you’re blanketing literally 6 SQUARE MILES of beautiful Oregon ground[1] at a time with PV panels, it starts to look a lot less cheap. [1] https://www.oregon.gov/energy/facilities-safety/facilities/Pages/BSP.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/energy/facilities-safety/facilities/P...
- roenxi 5y ago
  Actually you'll find the economies of scale probably help keep the costs down. Square miles of land are pretty common. Blanketing them with something useful is a good thing.
  - hcurtiss 5y ago
    If you had ever driven from Shaniko to Maupin in early June when the prairie lupine is blooming, I doubt you’d be so cavalier.
horrified 5y ago
Can you explain to me then why China is still building new coal based power plants? If solar is cheaper, why would anybody build something else?
- nabla9 5y ago
  Because solar energy is not cheapest form of 24/7 energy source. Baseload is the minimum level of demand on an electrical grid over some timespan. Providing that baseload with solar or wind is not as cheap as hydro, coal, natural gas or nuclear.
- SideburnsOfDoom 5y ago
  Inertia.
- PragmaticPulp 5y ago
  Because solar only works when it’s sunny. The quoted prices for cheap solar energy don’t include storage. Solar plus storage is still expensive.
nabla9 5y ago
Not for a baseload needs.
belorn 5y ago
Solar is cheapest in a similar way that fish is the cheapest food on an island. If you only look at the days when catches are high then it is the cheapest method to produce food. If fish are your primary source of food, and every day you don't get enough you will have to eat expensive imported food, you food cost over the year can be quite high for a primary fishing nation. The fish will still be cheapest, but as a strategy it is somewhat expensive or carry a high risk of starvation. Nations will build as much solar/wind as there is peak demand, because it is the cheapest energy when it produce. Nation will also build coal, oil and gas power plants in order to be there when those solar and wind aren't producing. Economically that is the cheapest way to produce a stable energy grid. Environmentally it is far from the best. Falling solar and wind prices reinforces this model.
chewz 5y ago
And yet coal and natural gas prices reach multiyear highs due to unsatiated demand...

hcurtiss 5y ago

When the sun is out. And when you’re blanketing literally 6 SQUARE MILES of beautiful Oregon ground[1] at a time with PV panels, it starts to look a lot less cheap. [1] https://www.oregon.gov/energy/facilities-safety/facilities/Pages/BSP.aspx https://www.oregon.gov/energy/facilities-safety/facilities/P...

roenxi 5y ago
Actually you'll find the economies of scale probably help keep the costs down. Square miles of land are pretty common. Blanketing them with something useful is a good thing.
- hcurtiss 5y ago
  If you had ever driven from Shaniko to Maupin in early June when the prairie lupine is blooming, I doubt you’d be so cavalier.

horrified 5y ago

Can you explain to me then why China is still building new coal based power plants? If solar is cheaper, why would anybody build something else?

nabla9 5y ago
Because solar energy is not cheapest form of 24/7 energy source. Baseload is the minimum level of demand on an electrical grid over some timespan. Providing that baseload with solar or wind is not as cheap as hydro, coal, natural gas or nuclear.
SideburnsOfDoom 5y ago
Inertia.
PragmaticPulp 5y ago
Because solar only works when it’s sunny. The quoted prices for cheap solar energy don’t include storage. Solar plus storage is still expensive.

nabla9 5y ago

Not for a baseload needs.

belorn 5y ago

Solar is cheapest in a similar way that fish is the cheapest food on an island. If you only look at the days when catches are high then it is the cheapest method to produce food. If fish are your primary source of food, and every day you don't get enough you will have to eat expensive imported food, you food cost over the year can be quite high for a primary fishing nation. The fish will still be cheapest, but as a strategy it is somewhat expensive or carry a high risk of starvation. Nations will build as much solar/wind as there is peak demand, because it is the cheapest energy when it produce. Nation will also build coal, oil and gas power plants in order to be there when those solar and wind aren't producing. Economically that is the cheapest way to produce a stable energy grid. Environmentally it is far from the best. Falling solar and wind prices reinforces this model.

chewz 5y ago

And yet coal and natural gas prices reach multiyear highs due to unsatiated demand...