Renewables power past coal

Renewable energy sources that came on stream in 2020 – driven by solar photovoltaic panels – pushed electricity costs lower than the cheapest source of fossil fuel-fired capacity


Renewable power generation costs (per megawatt-hour)

			Coal 	$109
$381 Solar photovoltaic		$57
$340 Concentrating solar power	$108
$162 Offshore wind   		$84 
$89 Onshore wind		$39

400
300
200
100
0
 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020


Global primary energy consumption (terrawatt-hours, 2010-20)

Renewable	Gas 	Oil 	Coal	2010
23,340 		31,606 	48,087	41,997 	152,249 
15.3%		20.8% 	31.6%	27.6%	100%

Nuclear 7,219/4.7%
  					2020
29,656 		39,292 	53,620	43,849 	173,340
17.1%		22.7% 	30.9%	25.3%	100%  
 
Nuclear 6,923/4.0%


Sources: IRENA, Our World in Data 
Picture: Getty Images 
© GRAPHIC NEWS