The New York Times published a piece highlighting the EPA's Clean Power Plan entitled "U.S. Unveils Measures to Encourage Solar Power Use." The piece, written by Gardiner Harris, quotes AEE's Vice President of Market Development Matt Stanberry and several AEE member companies.
[T]he price of solar power dropped 78 percent between 2009 and 2014 while the price of wind power dropped 58 percent during that same time period. Wind is now among the cheapest sources of power in the United States, with solar not far behind. The development of hydraulic fracturing, a form of drilling that efficiently releases natural gas, has also led to a rapid increase in the amount of natural gas generated in the United States and a plunge in its price.
As a result, 90 percent of the electrical generating capacity added in the United States between 2012 and 2014 was either natural gas, wind or solar, according to Matt Stanberry, vice president of market development at Advanced Energy Economy, a trade association.
“If you look at the last five to 10 years, those are the technologies that are rapidly growing and are now dominating the market anyway,” Mr. Stanberry said.