Solar and wind power are the cheapest sources of new electricity generation in most major markets.
NOT BSTOTAL BS
HARDLY BS — Verdict: Mostly True
Verified by Lenz ·
The Short Version
Current evidence broadly supports the statement for utility-scale solar PV and onshore wind. Major recent analyses from the IEA, EIA, BloombergNEF, Wood Mackenzie, and Lazard generally find them to be the cheapest new-build options in many large markets. The key limitation is that this is mostly an LCOE comparison; full system costs and some regional gas markets can change the ranking.
Caveats
“Cheapest” usually refers to plant-level levelized cost of energy for utility-scale solar PV and onshore wind, not total system cost after storage, balancing, and grid upgrades.
The claim does not apply equally to all technologies: offshore wind and rooftop solar are often much more expensive than utility-scale onshore wind and utility-scale solar.
Some major-market regions, especially gas-rich areas, can still favor new gas generation, and subsidies or tax credits can materially affect comparisons.