Renewable energy is America's cheapest option, study finds

From Treehugger:

In a landscape marred by entrenched political and business interests that prefer the status quo, any prospect of shifting towards renewable energy sources can at times seem the purview of idealists. But, according to a new study that aims for a more holistic count of energy costs, a switch to renewables by the U.S. wouldn't only be good for the planet -- it would actually make better sense financially.

While on its face, producing electricity from fossil fuels might seem like the cheaper option, it fails to take into account the full picture. When public health, environmental, and social costs of tapping polluting energy resources are factored in, says the study, renewables like wind and solar would actually be cheaper.

The study notes that most of the pollution generated in the U.S. today comes from coal-fired power plants, accounting for 40 percent of the nation's carbon footprint. But in addition to electricity, burning coal leads to countless unintended, yet pricey consequences, like increased rates of heart disease, respiratory illnesses, and premature death -- as well as many environmental impacts associated with climate change.

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