price of wind energy in US at an all-time low

http://phys.org/news/2015-08-price-energy-all-time-averaging-centkwh.html

"Study finds price of wind energy in US at an all-time low, averaging under 2.5 cent/kWh

Wind energy pricing is at an all-time low, according to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Energy and prepared by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). The prices offered by wind projects to utility purchasers averaged under 2.5¢/kWh for projects negotiating contracts in 2014, spurring demand for wind energy.


"Wind energy prices—particularly in the central United States—have hit new lows, with utilities selecting wind as the low cost option," Berkeley Lab Senior Scientist Ryan Wiser said. "Moreover, enabled by technology advancements, wind projects are economically viable in a growing number of locations throughout the U.S."
..."

But I don't doubt that we will keep get the same old crap by the same extremely ignorant stupid people of; "renewable energy is not cost effective" or worse; "renewable energy will never be cost effective" despite the fact many generally already are cost effective and regardless of the ever growing mountain of evidence of their cost effectiveness with this new bit of evidence being just a drop in the ocean of that vast mountain of evidence.

Originally posted by humy
"Study finds price of wind energy in US at an all-time low, averaging under 2.5 cent/kWh

What does coal power cost?

I thought it would be on this site:
http://www.eia.gov/
but I couldn't find it.

Originally posted by twhitehead
What does coal power cost?

I thought it would be on this site:
http://www.eia.gov/
but I couldn't find it.

I did a google search for this but couldn't find the relevant info anywhere.

I know this is a doggy unreliable extrapolation to make from this but I note that, back in 2013 i.e. just 2 years ago, in Germany (not the US ), the levelized cost of coal power was very roughly in the same range as onshore wind power:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_electricity_by_source

Since then, I have heard that wind power has become 'significantly' (or words to that effect ) more cost effective although I have no specific figures to indicate by about how much. But, assuming the levelized cost of coal has remained the same, I would make a guess from that limited info that onshore wind is now marginally more cost effective than coal in most parts of the world.

Enjoy:
http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/pdf/electricity_generation.pdf

Compare also what I believe is an older version:
http://instituteforenergyresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/2.15.13-IER-Web-LevelizedCost-MKM.pdf

I see biomass and geothermal do quite well too.


See also:
http://energyinnovation.org/2015/02/07/levelized-cost-of-energy/

http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/electricity_generation.cfm

http://en.openei.org/apps/TCDB/

Gas is the cheapest but is more expensive than wind if carbon capture is added. Onshore wind is number two and is cheaper than coal. Strangely offshore wind is very expensive. Maybe the US doesn't have a lot of suitable offshore sites.

Note that all costs are based on new power generation. Obviously already built and running power plants are cheaper to keep in operation. You might not want to close down a coal plant in favour of new wind, but you would not want to build a new coal plant. (from an economic stand point)