For generations, we have depended on coal, oil, and natural gas to heat our homes, transport us, and run our machines. But the economics of energy are changing rapidly. Today, electricity from the sun and wind can cost substantially less than electricity from fossil fuels. The cost of utility-scale solar power has fallen by roughly 90% since 2009, while wind power has also experienced dramatic cost reductions.
According to a 2025 analysis on the levelized cost of energy, new electricity from utility-scale solar and onshore wind costs roughly $60 per megawatt-hour on average, compared with about $80 per megawatt-hour for natural gas. Solar and wind are among the least expensive ways to generate new electricity, while also avoiding much of the pollution and carbon emissions associated with fossil fuels.
The falling cost of renewable energy creates an extraordinary opportunity, and the world has taken notice. Renewable energy is being deployed at an unprecedented rate. In 2025 alone, the world added nearly 700 gigawatts of solar and wind power capacity, and the International Energy Agency expects the world to add roughly twice as much renewable capacity in 2025–2030 as it did during the previous five years. China, once primarily reliant on fossil fuels, is expected to generate 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and has pledged to be carbon neutral before 2060.
Fossil fuel companies no longer control our future. The economics of energy have turned against them, and their business model is becoming unsustainable. As solar and wind become increasingly inexpensive, market forces will drive investment toward renewables and away from fossil fuels. Governments and large energy companies may influence this transition, but they cannot easily overcome the fundamental economics. Once renewable energy becomes the cheaper choice, we have powerful incentives to choose it.
For Christians, this offers hope for the future. Renewable energy allows us to act as stewards of God’s creation while preserving our world for future generations. Climate change is a serious challenge, but it is not a hopeless situation. For more information on renewable energy and a positive perspective on addressing climate change through practical action rather than despair, read Bill McKibben’s 2025 book, Here Comes the Sun. This book will be discussed at the C3 Book Club on October 6 and October 20. Contact Pastor Melissa for details. In addition, the author will speak to the congregation as part of Empowering Conversations on Sunday, April 18.