Reply To: Climate Crisis: Our Last Chance
Around three-quarters of US coal production is now more expensive than solar and wind energy in providing electricity to American households, according to a new study. By 2025 the picture becomes even clearer, with nearly the entire US coal system out-competed on cost by wind and solar,
“Even without major policy shift we will continue to see coal retire pretty rapidly,” said Mike O’Boyle, the co-author of the report for Energy Innovation, a renewables analysis firm. “Our analysis shows that we can move a lot faster to replace coal with wind and solar. The fact that so much coal could be retired right now shows we are off the pace.”
Half of all US coalmines have shut down over the past decade.
“Coal is on its way out,” said Curtis Morgan, the chief executive of Vistra Energy, a major Texas-based coal plant owner. “More and more plants are being retired.”
Yet, projections are that US carbon dioxide emissions from energy will remain similar to current levels until 2050.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/25/coal-more-expensive-wind-solar-us-energy-study