Credit: Data source: Lazard. Graph by the author.
Data source: Lazard. Graph by the author.
The next chart shows that wind energy is even cheaper than solar and has also been reducing costs over the past five years. In many locations, wind is actually the cheapest new energy source today. Texas, for example, has been the heart of the country's wind boom and in 2014 the state installed 1.1 GW of new wind capacity and got 10.6% of its electricity from the wind.
Data source: Lazard. Graph by the author.
Another analysis by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association found the cost of residential solar systems has dropped by 50% in the past five years; large-scale system costs have dropped by 62% over the same time frame. Both are winning business today because they're the lowest-cost energy options for homeowners and utilities, respectively.
Data source: GTM Research Solar Insights Reports. Chart by the author.
As an investor, I'm not invested in solar energy because of its environmental benefits; I'm invested in solar energy because it's an abundant resource that is cost competitive today and is reducing costs more quickly than any other major energy source. Those factors should drive the discussion, not climate change.
Investors should forget politics and follow the money
The irony of Wall Street today is that its often still blinded by the political debate about wind and solar and has lost sight of the fact that these are now economically competitive energy sources. But the renewable energy industries could help that discussion by transitioning the focus to the financial benefits they offer over fossil fuels.
On the economic front, they're winning the battle against fossil fuels, and anything that obscures that fact only distracts from the progress being made. I think the entire renewable energy industry would be better served by using concrete economic arguments to persuade skeptics into becoming believers in the long-term benefits offered by wind and solar. Trying to convince climate change deniers that wind or solar is good for them because of the very climate change they don't believe in is a losing argument. It only politicizes energy sources that could stand on their own on economics alone.
At the end of the day, wind, solar, biofuels, or any other renewable source of energy will have to be cheaper than fossil fuels to win over America and the rest of the world, so impacting climate change is just an added bonus. I think the entire renewable energy industry and its investors would be better off having an honest discussion about why renewable energy is winning on the basis of dollars and cents; because there are millions of people (and investors) who still don't understand that even something as crazy as solar energy could save them money today . Educating people on that fact should be priority No. 1.
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The article Why Climate Change Is a Terrible Argument for Investing in Renewable Energy originally appeared on Fool.com.
Travis Hoium owns shares of SunPower. The Motley Fool recommends SolarCity. The Motley Fool owns shares of SolarCity. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days . We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
