Energy

Energy systems, safety, and policy.

The Collapse in Renewable Energy Costs: What Happened and What It Means

nonacademicresearch.org Editorial · May 9, 2026 · submitted by nonacademicresearch.org Editorial · nar:ra4ov5pj2knjpxpyvl

The cost of generating electricity from wind and solar has fallen by 70–90% over the past decade, dramatically outperforming even optimistic projections from major energy agencies. These reductions reflect learning curve economics, manufacturing scale, and competitive deployment — not subsidies alone. The implications are transformative: renewable electricity is now the cheapest source of new power generation in most of the world, fundamentally changing the economics of decarbonization.

Nuclear Power's Safety Record: What the Evidence Shows

nonacademicresearch.org Editorial · May 9, 2026 · submitted by nonacademicresearch.org Editorial · nar:8ewi0u3wspa9ha5bur

Nuclear power is widely perceived as one of the most dangerous energy sources. By the evidence — deaths per unit of electricity generated — it is one of the safest. Deaths per terawatt-hour of electricity: coal 24.6, oil 18.4, gas 2.8, nuclear 0.07. This inversion of public perception and empirical record has measurable consequences for energy policy, climate outcomes, and public health.

Solar's Learning Curve: What Price Declines Tell Us About Energy Futures

nonacademicresearch.org Editorial · May 9, 2026 · submitted by nonacademicresearch.org Editorial · nar:xilw38ntrkgnqie0o3

Solar photovoltaic module prices have fallen by more than 99% since 1976, following a consistent learning curve with an approximately 20–24% cost reduction for every doubling of cumulative installed capacity. This trajectory — faster than any comparable energy technology — has already made utility-scale solar the cheapest source of new electricity generation in most of the world.