claim: Clean and renewable energy is too expensive.

fact: The cost of clean and renewable energy is much lower than some might think and is already cost competitive with conventional energy resources in many markets. In the last two years, prices for wind, solar, electric vehicles and other technologies have fallen rapidly and will continue to do so, and biofuels have helped lower gas prices.

  1. Electricity from hydropower is the cheapest form of electricity when its all-in costs is compared to all other electricity generation options. (Source: Navigant Consulting / American Council On Renewable Energy, http://bit.ly/pxLXzW)
  2. The average installed cost of solar systems declined 20% in the U.S. in 2011. (Source: Solar Energy Industries Association, http://bit.ly/xEPsn7)
  3. The price of polysilicon, a key component of photovoltaic solar panels, has fallen 75% since 2008. (Source: Bloomberg, Credit Suisse, http://bit.ly/LaOjNf)
  4. Analysts predict that by 2017, the cost for electricity produced from new onshore wind farms will be lower than new advanced or conventional coal plants. (Source: Energy Information Administration, http://bit.ly/lp2udF)
  5. U.S. biofuel production reduced prices at the pump by more than $1 per gallon in 2011. (Source: Iowa State University, http://bit.ly/Kdoudi)
  6. There are six models of electric and hybrid vehicles that retail for under $32,000. (Source: Media Matters, http://bit.ly/HN06Vy). By comparison, the average price of a car purchased in the United States in April 2012 was approximately $30,000. (Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution, http://bit.ly/IRrlzp)

To learn more, see our Energy Issues page on Costs.

claim: Clean and renewable energy are just for the “coasts” – not the South or Midwest.

fact: Clean, renewable energy is being produced and is supporting jobs in every region of the country, including many regions not traditionally associated with clean energy.

  1. 16 states get more than 10% of their electricity from renewable resources. That includes states like Iowa and North and South Dakota. (Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, http://bit.ly/HtQ38b)
  2. The country’s top 10 hydropower producing states include Arizona, Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee. (Source: National Hydropower Association, http://bit.ly/Ign5VJ)
  3. Nearly 1,000 companies in the South and Rustbelt states are part of the U.S. hydropower industry’s supply chain. (Source: National Hydropower Association, http://bit.ly/Ign5VJ)
  4. In 2011, Texas was the country’s top producer of wind power, and Iowa ranks first for the percentage of its electricity that comes from wind. (Sources: American Wind Energy Association, http://bit.ly/rfn70R and http://bit.ly/JJjcYc)
  5. A recent study showed that adding more wind to the grid could save Midwestern households between $65 and $200 each year. (Source: Synapse Energy Economics / ACEG, http://bit.ly/JDVPUZ.)
  6. The Southeast has an abundant supply of biomass from forests, mills, urban wood, and agricultural residues that can be used for the production of clean, renewable energy. (Source: Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, http://bit.ly/MdL5sq)

To learn more, see our Energy Issues page on Costs.