SACE has a tradition of celebrating the passage of each staff member’s work anniversary on their hire date with a celebratory email–usually with a funny picture or quote or something like that (for example see at right my birthday celebration picture from a colleague several years back). I got my celebratory SACE-iversary email last week, marking eight years of working with the organization.

It got me reflecting on how my work has changed over the last eight years and how much the clean energy markets have changed over that same time. Curious, I looked up Lazard’s levelized cost of energy analysis then and now.

I found that unsubsidized wind energy went from $50-$92 per megawatt-hour (MWh) in 2011 to $29-$56 in 2018, a price decline of 42% on the low end to 39% on the high end. Solar energy from crystalline ground mount/utility scale solar crystalline (unsubsidized) went from $148-$166 per MWh in 2011 to $40-$46 in 2018, a price decline of 73% on the low end  and 72% on the high end. Solar energy from thin film PV (unsubsidized) went from $121-$242 per MWh in 2011 to $36-$44 in 2018, a price decline of 70% on the low end and 82% on the high end.

These cost declines don’t even include the dramatic improvements in the years before I working at SACE or the tax credits that even further lower costs.

Overall, Lazard estimates that since 2009, wind energy has declined 69% in price and crystalline utility-scale solar has declined 88% in price.

Remarkable! What an amazing time to be advocating for clean energy, as SACE has done for the past 34 years, promoting responsible energy choices to ensure clean, safe and healthy communities throughout the Southeast!  Visit our website to find out more about our work.