99% of U.S. Coal Plants Cost More to Run Than Replace With New Renewables, Study Finds

The Stanton Energy Center, a coal-fired power plant and the Stanton Solar Farm in Orlando, Florida
The Stanton Energy Center, a coal-fired power plant and the Stanton Solar Farm in Orlando, Florida on Nov. 14, 2021. Paul Hennessy / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images
Why you can trust us

Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

It would be cheaper to build new renewable energy capacity than it is to continue operating nearly every existing coal plant in the U.S., a new report from Energy Innovation finds.

Of the country’s remaining 210 coal-fired power plants, more than 99% cost more to run than it would cost to replace them with new renewable energy, up from 62% in 2019.

The nationwide median cost of existing coal power is $36/mW-h, compared to just $24/mWh for new solar. The only cost-competitive coal plant to operate compared to building new renewables, Wyoming’s Dry Fork Station, is just $0.32/mW-h cheaper than new renewables.

A train carrying cars loaded with coal near Dry Fork Station, a coal-fired power plant in Gillette, Wyoming, on May 8, 2017. Matt McClain / The Washington Post via Getty Images

“Coal is unequivocally more expensive than wind and solar resources, it’s just no longer cost-competitive with renewables,” Michelle Solomon, a policy analyst at Energy Innovation, told The Guardian. “There’s a huge opportunity here to invest in coal communities, build local economic resilience and save money in the process.”

For a deeper dive:

The Guardian, Bloomberg, The Hill, Gizmodo, Inside Climate News, The Washington Post, Forbes; Duke Energy: Energy News Network

For more climate change and clean energy news, you can follow Climate Nexus on Twitter and Facebook, sign up for daily Hot News, and visit their news site, Nexus Media News.

Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

    By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

    Read More

    UK Cuts Subsidies for Drax Power Station in Half, Saying It Must Burn 100% Sustainable Biomass
    The United Kingdom has announced new reduced subsidies for its
    By Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
    Los Angeles Wildfires Were More Likely Due to Climate Change: Report
    The enormous wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles in January were
    By Michael Riojas
    22 Republican AGs Sue to Stop New York’s Attempt to Make Fossil Fuel Polluters Pay for Climate Damages
    A group of Republican attorneys general have brought a lawsuit
    By Cristen Hemingway Jaynes

    Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

      By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

      Latest Articles