Unsubsidised solar is cheaper than coal in Chile. Australia here we come!

One of the key questions that remains in what has been a forgettable year for Australian renewable energy policy development is: when will unsubsidised solar reach cost parity with fossil fuels? Will it be in 2015 or 2016 that this occurs? Or should we look further into the future? The question is of course crucial as reaching this point in time will sweep away any criticism from the fossil fuel argument that coal, oil is cheaper to produce than renewable energy such as solar power.

If you listen to fossil fuel lobbyists you’ll get the impressions that cost parity is decades away, however the truth is that it is already here in some parts of the world. [Read more…]