Clean energy still beats fossil fuels on cost, despite, well, everything

A new report from investment bank Lazard finds that wind and solar farms still produce electricity more cheaply than gas or other fossil fuel plants, even though costs for renewables have jumped this year. The report uses a measure called levelized cost of energy, which estimates the full price of generating power over a plant's lifetime, including construction, fuel, and operation. Onshore wind and large-scale solar again came out on top, though their costs rose 11 percent and 18 percent, mainly because federal tax credits for renewables have shrunk, tariffs have gone up, and interest rates remain high. Gas power got pricier too, up 15 percent, as a shortage of turbines has made gas plants slower and more expensive to build.

None of this changes existing home rebate programs directly, but it does suggest that the broader push toward wind and solar power on the grid is likely to continue, since these sources remain the cheapest way to add new electricity generation, even without the incentives they used to get. That matters for homeowners because cheaper large-scale power generation can help keep electricity rates in check, especially as demand grows from things like data centers and air conditioning during heat waves.

Elsewhere, a few developments touch home energy more directly. A new federal housing law will require stronger energy efficiency standards for manufactured homes, which are often less efficient because they are not covered by local and state building codes. And a nonprofit called Bright Saver is now selling balcony solar kits, small plug-in panel setups you can use without a large installation, starting around $300, as more states legalize them.