The Colorado Sun
Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state.
Unsubsidized utility-scale solar is now generally cheaper than building fossil fuel power plants.
Costs are often compared using “levelized cost of energy,” the average lifetime cost to build and run a power plant divided by the electricity it produces. A 2025 analysis estimates the mean LCOE of utility-scale solar at about $58 per megawatt-hour without subsidies, compared to $79 for new natural gas plants and $128 for new coal. The International Energy Agency reports solar energy is the cheapest source of new electricity generation in most parts of the world.
Solar costs have fallen sharply over the past decade as panel prices have dropped and the industry has grown. Subsidies can further lower costs, but solar is not dependent on them to compete with fossil fuels.
See a full discussion of this at Skeptical Science
See full source list below.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
The Colorado Sun partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.
Get Fact Briefs in your email twice a week. Sign up here.
Let us know what you want fact-checked by submitting a tip! Please note that claims that are partially true or false cannot be checked. In addition, we are unable to check claims for which there are no credible, available sources to verify or dispute them.
International Energy Agency World Energy Outlook 2020
Lazard Lazard Releases 2025 Levelized Cost of Energy+ Report
Reuters Around 90% of renewables cheaper than fossil fuels worldwide, IRENA says
Scientific American Wind and Solar Energy Are Cheaper Than Electricity from Fossil-Fuel Plants
Checks a specific statement or set of statements asserted as fact.
The Colorado Sun is an award-winning news outlet based in Denver that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state — our community — can better understand itself. The Colorado Sun is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 36-5082144
(720) 263-2338
Got a story tip? Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com
Link Copy link

source