Calculating the real cost of renewable energy

Center of the American Experiment released a new tool today to calculate the true cost of renewable energy sources. Renewables Blueprint, How to calculate the cost of renewable energy in your state will be an important resource for other organizations to educate policymakers, ratepayers and taxpayers as more and more states force utilities to offer a greater mix of renewables to their energy portfolio.

The tool will provide a real apples-to-apples cost comparison based on a common set of inputs and outputs, allowing users to compare the cost of solar and wind against nuclear and coal. The tool is based on the work of American Experiment’s Doubling Down on Failure: How a 50 Percent by 2030 Renewable Energy Standard Would Cost Minnesota $80.2 Billion.

“It has never been more important to have accurate and transparent information regarding the cost of renewable energy,” said Isaac Orr, energy policy fellow at American Experiment and co-author of the report. “With states continuing their mandates for expensive new technologies in the name of climate change, consumers and taxpayers deserve to know the real costs.”

The tool created by American Experiment provides sample spreadsheets that can be customized to fit the energy costs of any state. Alternatively, state organizations can contract with American Experiment to use the tool to calculate the costs of renewable energy in their state. For more information contact Isaac Orr at [email protected].

“Our goal in sharing this tool is to convince policy makers around the country how unwise it is to retire perfectly reliable, affordable sources of electricity like coal and nuclear plants in favor of building wind, solar and natural gas, at a huge expense to American families and businesses,” added Orr.

The full report can be found here:

Renewables Blueprint, How to calculate the cost of renewable energy in your state