Levelized cost of electricity. Different technologies supply power differently.
What It Shows
Onshore wind and utility-scale solar had the lowest global average generation costs among these renewable technologies in 2025. Their position is striking, but an average is not a quote for a specific project.
What It Does Not Show
Levelized cost spreads generation costs over a project’s lifetime. It is neither a household tariff nor a measure of the full electricity system, including storage and grid needs. Geography, financing and when power is available all matter.
Sources, Method & Data
Values from Figure S1, page 6, of IRENA’s Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2025 (2026). Units are 2025 US dollars per megawatt-hour. Bars begin at zero and are sorted from lowest to highest. “Concentrated Solar” means concentrated solar power (CSP). Data © IRENA 2026; selected and visualized by Vastkind.
| Technology | 2025 USD/MWh |
|---|---|
| Onshore Wind | 33 |
| Solar PV | 44 |
| Hydropower | 62 |
| Offshore Wind | 78 |
| Bioenergy | 86 |
| Geothermal | 89 |
| Concentrated Solar | 115 |