Natural gas and wind are lowest cost generation for USA

• 7 years ago (2016-12-12)
• David Flin

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According to research published by the University of Texas at Austin, natural gas and wind are the lowest cost technology options for new electricity generation across much of the USA when cost, public health impacts, and environmental effects are considered. Researchers assessed multiple generation technologies, including coal, natural gas, solar, wind, and nuclear. Their findings are published in a white paper: “New US Power Costs: by County, With Environmental Externalities.”

The paper is part of a comprehensive study coordinated by UT Austin’s Energy Institute titled the “Full Cost of Electricity (FCe-)”, an interdisciplinary project that synthesises expert analyses from faculty members across the university.

Researchers categorised the electricity system into three principal components: consumers; generation technologies; and the wires, poles, storage, and other hardware required to connect end users and generators.

Researchers used data from existing studies to enhance a formula known as the Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE). In addition to including public health impacts and environmental effects – which LCOE typically does not – the research team used data to calculate county-specific costs for each technology.

Wind power is the lowest cost option for much of the country, from the High Plains and Midwest and into Texas. Natural gas was the lowest cost option for much of the rest of the USA. Nuclear was found to be the lowest cost option in 400 out of 3110 counties nationwide.