Fact-check: “Solar power is now cheaper than coal in most countries”
Verdict: Mostly True (72% confidence)
The IEA stated in its World Energy Outlook 2020 that solar PV is 'consistently cheaper than new coal- or gas-fired power plants in most countries,' and IRENA's 2025 report on 2024 data found utility-scale solar PV averaged USD 0.043/kWh globally — 41% cheaper than the lowest-cost fossil fuel alternative. The core qualification is that the authoritative comparison is almost always new solar vs. new coal plants, not solar vs. the operating costs of already-built coal infrastructure, where the mat…
This fact-check was conducted by SpinkillerAI, a non-partisan AI-powered accountability platform.
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