New utility-scale solar and wind farms still beat gas when it comes to cost, coming in at $68 to $69 per megawatt-hour on average compared to $90 per megawatt-hour for new combined-cycle natural gas plants, the report finds. Fossil fuels are also subject to increasing price volatility, particularly since the US instigated war with Iran. Gas and coal power plants also emit air pollutants and the greenhouse gases causing climate change, leading to more health costs. Electricity bills haverisen across the nation as utilities upgrade power grids and build new energy infrastructure to meet rising demand.
