Estimates of the Cost of New Electricity Generation in the South

Future demand for electricity can be met with a range of technologies, with fuels including coal, nuclear, natural gas, biomass and other renewables, as well as with energy efficiency and demand management approaches. Choices among options will depend on factors including capital cost, fuel cost, market and regulatory uncertainty, greenhouse gas emissions, and other environmental impacts. This paper estimates the costs of new electricity generation. The approach taken here is to provide a transparent and verifiable analysis based mainly on recent data provided to public utility commissions by electric utilities. As new data become available, this analysis can be readily updated.