Despite low gas prices, solar, wind remain cheapest sources of power in U.S.
Renewables remain cost-competitive in the United States despite rising natural gas competitiveness, according to Lazard’s 2025 “Levelized Cost of Energy+” report, which estimates combined cycle gas at $0.048/kWh to $0.107/kWh, solar at $0.038/kWh to $0.212/kWh, and nuclear at $0.141/kWh to $0.220/kWh.
Tracking the top states for community solar
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance releases its quarterly community solar tracker, which updates capacity in states with formal programs that allow non-utility ownership.
Flexible transmission allocation would allow Western solar projects to proceed
Enabling renewable projects in the Pacific Northwest to obtain flexible transmission rights could help states reduce electricity costs and meet renewables targets, suggests a report. The approach could also have utility in most of the West.
U.S. solar manufacturing booms in Q1 while uncertainty looms
The increased manufacturing capacity supports the growing solar generating capacity, with solar and storage accounting for 82% of all new generating capacity added to the grid. However, the House bill coupled with rising tariffs threaten the trajectory.
House bill puts nearly 500 GW of solar and storage projects at risk
Meeting the proposed operational deadline coupled with permitting delays and supply chain challenges means developers would have to rush to start and finish projects in 3.5 years. Cleanview quantifies the enormous amount of clean energy capacity at risk.
Iowa researchers explore how solar panel height, design affects crop yields
Iowa State University is using a $1.8 million grant to study whether higher solar arrays create better growing conditions for horticultural crops and beekeeping production.
Leading threat to farmland is real estate development, not solar, agricultural analysts say
Arkansas could double its total energy generation with solar and still only require a very small fraction of the land to do so, according to analysis by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
U.S. scientists build antimony sulfide solar cell with 7.69% efficiency
Researchers at University of Toledo produced antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) thin film solar cells with 7.69% power conversion efficiency after determining optimal hydrothermal deposition, post annealing, and light soaking conditions. Stability tests showed more than 95% of initial efficiency after ten months.
How agrivoltaics could solve Nevada’s groundwater crisis
Installing agrivoltaics on previously irrigated land could help minimize the losses from reducing groundwater use, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Water Resources Association.
U.S. defense research agency achieves optical power beaming record
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency said a project team testing new optical wireless energy receiver technology was able to transfer 800 W of power to a receiver 8.6 km away in a 30 second transmission. It claims is a distance and power record amongst optical power beaming demonstration results.
