What energy source costs the most to generate electricity?

Grade level: 4 – 5th grades

Skills: Bar graph

Related environmental issues:Energy

Area level: National

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The United States generate electricity by using coal, natural gas, and nuclear power. The country also uses renewable resources such as wind and solar for electricity generation. The bar graph below shows how much it costs to generate 1 kwh of electricity from those sources.

1.Which energy source is the most expensive to generate electricity?

2.Fill in an ordinal number.  Coal is the ______ most expensive energy source to generate electricity.

3.What costs about half as much as solar power?

Source: Unsubsidized Levelized Cost of Energy Comparison from Lazard, 2014

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Answer keys

  1. nuclear power
  2. third
  3. wind power