Compare new build vs new build, and the order flips. IRENA data for 2023: 81% of new utility-scale renewables deliver cheaper power than the cheapest new fossil option.

That framing dodges the real decision. The real choice is what to build next - and the financial risk. Coal and gas lock in fuel costs for decades. Solar and wind pay upfront and run on free fuel.
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A common trick: compare new renewables to old coal and gas plants. Those fossil plants already covered most of the build costs. What remains is fuel and routine operations.
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So build hybrid systems: batteries for fast balancing, hydrogen for seasonal storage and hard-to-electrify sectors. Example projects + explainer: [https://bit.ly/4rTGfeM](https://bit.ly/4rTGfeM)

Germany added 14 GW of rooftop solar in 2023. Supply shifts by hour and by season. Batteries can’t bridge winter wind to summer demand. Hydrogen can. And industry still needs molecules for steel, shipping, and aviation.
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Batteries store electricity with high efficiency for short gaps: noon to evening, windy night to morning. Hydrogen stores energy by converting power into a fuel. That is less efficient, but it travels and sits for a long time.
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The fixes are clear: standardize requirements, let operators earn returns on digital solutions (not only steel), and fund collaboration models that de-risk early contracts. Episode link: 🎙️ SPOTIFY https://bit.ly/43QDtwo APPLE

With heat pumps, EVs, and batteries growing, flexibility is the cheapest way to avoid some grid reinforcement. But fragmentation kills momentum. Germany has ~900 DSOs, each with different processes.
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