2018 Electricity Generation Technology Cost and Performance Projections

The dataset presents the 2018 Annual Technology Baseline (ATB) with current and projected cost and performance data for renewable and conventional electricity generation technologies. It is compiled by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and includes two financial assumption cases for research and development effects.

Use Cases

• Analyze Levelized Cost Of Energy (LCOE) projections across technologies like Photovoltaic and Wind under different financial cases.
• Compare Capital Expenditures (Capex) and Operations And Maintenance (O&M) costs between conventional and renewable technologies.
• Model future Capacity Factor trends for technologies such as Concentrating Solar Power and Hydropower based on research and development scenarios.

Strengths

• Data is compiled by NREL, a leading U.S. national laboratory under the Department of Energy.
• Includes projections for multiple electricity generation technologies, providing a comparative view.
• Offers two distinct financial assumption cases for analyzing cost trajectories.

Limitations

• Specific data structure (rows, columns) and sample data are unavailable for review.
• Geothermal technology data is noted as awaiting an update, making that section incomplete.
• The primary file format is listed as BIN, which may require specific tools or conversion for analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Department of Energy.

Collection Method

Compiled and presented in the Annual Technology Baseline (ATB) workbook.

Time Range

2018 baseline with projections.

Freshness

Last updated in March 2026, but the underlying data is for the 2018 Annual Technology Baseline.

Geography

United States, based on tags and organizational context.