According to a study cited by The Guardian, around three-quarters of US coal production is now more expensive than solar and wind energy in providing electricity to American households. By 2025 the picture becomes even clearer, with nearly the entire US coal system out-competed on cost by wind and solar, even when factoring in the construction of new wind turbines and solar panels.
The study’s authors used public financial filings and data from the Energy Information Agency (EIA) to work out the cost of energy from coal plants compared with wind and solar options.
From this emerges an economic picture that seems to reduce the political scope of many national targets regarding the elimination of coal by 2025, such the Italian case that confirms its trend within its National Energy Strategy, that effectively transforms a political will into an economic necessity.
The important thing now is to give a concrete effect to this fundamental transition. In the case of ENEL, according to its Chief Executive Officer Francesco Starace, 3 of the 5 Italian coal plants, such as Venezia-Fusina, La Spezia and Sulcis-Portoscuso will not go beyond 2021, while Brindisi and Civitavecchia, will close by 2025.
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