Cost of electricity by source

Different methods of <a href="/facts/Electricity_generation/Uo6mQQ1T">electricity generation</a> can incur a variety of different costs, which can be divided into three general categories: 1) wholesale costs, or all costs paid by utilities associated with acquiring and distributing electricity to consumers, 2) retail costs paid by consumers, and 3) external costs, or <a href="/facts/Externality/hGgw7gtT">externalities</a>, imposed on society.
Wholesale costs include initial <a href="/facts/Capital_(finance)/xlkBpxfD">capital</a>, operations & maintenance (O&M), transmission, and costs of decommissioning. Depending on the local regulatory environment, some or all wholesale costs may be passed through to consumers. These are costs per unit of energy, typically represented as dollars/megawatt hour (wholesale). The calculations also assist governments in making decisions regarding <a href="/facts/Energy_policy/3MwDUbKI">energy policy</a>.
On average the <a href="/facts/Levelized_cost_of_electricity/cjRmY0xa">levelized cost of electricity</a> from <a href="/facts/Utility-scale_solar/Az3gNILI">utility scale solar power</a> and <a href="/facts/Wind_power/vlNN3u16">onshore wind power</a> is less than from <a href="/facts/Coal-fired_power_station/QCklV8AD">coal</a> and <a href="/facts/Gas-fired_power_plant/DeDmXmHI">gas-fired power stations</a>,: TS-25  but this varies greatly by location.: 6–65

Cost of electricity by source open-in-new

Cost of electricity by source