Wind and Solar Save $7 Billion in Fossil-Fuel Costs, NREL Says
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Cost savings from adding wind and solar power to the U.S. electricity grid outweigh expenses related to switching fossil-fueled power plants on and off to compensate for the intermittent nature of renewable energy, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Incorporating “high levels” of wind and solar power in the U.S. West would save as much as $7 billion in annual costs from purchasing fuel, compared with $35 million to $157 million in expenses from cycling coal and natural gas plants, the Golden, Colorado-based research arm of the U.S. Energy Department said in a statement today.