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The cost of producing ethanol varies with the cost of the feedstock used and the scale of production. Approximately 85 percent of ethanol production capacity in the United States relies on corn feedstock. The cost of producing ethanol from corn is estimated to be about $1.10 per gallon.

Because a gallon of ethanol contains less energy than a gallon of gasoline, the production cost of ethanol must be multiplied by a factor of 1.5 to make an energy-cost comparison with gasoline. This means that if ethanol costs $1.10 per gallon to produce, then the effective cost per gallon to equal the energy contained in a gallon of gasoline is $1.65. In contrast, the current wholesale price of gasoline is about 90 cents per gallon.

A major hurdle facing commercial biodiesel production is the cost of producing the fuel. Vegetable oil seed procurement, transport, storage and oil extraction accounts for at least 75 percent of the cost of producing biodiesel. The cost varies depending on the feedstock used. For example, based on the market price for industrial rapeseed grown in Washington and Idaho, the estimated cost of producing biodiesel is $2.56 per gallon of rapeseed methyl ester. Recent estimates put the cost of production in the range of $1.30 per gallon (using waste grease feedstock) to $2.00 or more per gallon using soybean oil.

Wind energy is cost-competitive with fossil fuels, especially coal. In Montana, wind energy is less expensive than coal for NorthWestern Energy--the state's largest utility.

ccording to the EIA, the total cost of wind energy without federal tax and other financial incentives is about 9.7 cents/kilowatt-hour. The total cost of conventional coal without federal tax and other financial incentives is about 9.4 cents/kilowatt-hour.

here are integration costs associated with intermittent renewable energy but unlike fossil fuels, wind (and solar and many other renewables) the fuel price stays the same: Zero.  Plus, wind-power technology has rapidly evolved. Turbines are much larger, growing from an average of 1.2 megawatts to 1.6 megawatts (a 33% increase in average capacity) in just three years.

Method Cents/kW-h Limitations and Externalities WindCurrently supplies approximately 1.4% of the global electricity demand. Wind is considered to be about 30% reliable. 4.0 - 6.0 Cents/kW-h Wind is currently the only cost-effective alternative energy method, but has a number of problems. Wind farms are highly subject to lightning strikes, have high mechanical fatigue failure, are limited in size by hub stress, do not function well, if at all, under conditions of heavy rain, icing conditions or very cold climates, and are noisy and cannot be insulated for sound reduction due to their size and subsequent loss of wind velocity and power. GeothermalCurrently supplies approximately 0.23% of the global electricity demand. Geothermal is considered 90-95% reliable. 4.5 - 30 Cents/kW-h New low temperature conversion of heat to electricity is likely to make geothermal substantially more plausible (more shallow drilling possible) and less expensive. Generally, the bigger the plant, the less the cost and cost also depends upon the depth to be drilled and the temperature at the depth. The higher the temperature, the lower the cost per kwh. Cost may also be affect by where the drilling is to take place as concerns distance from the grid and another factor may be the permeability of the rock. HydroCurrently supplies around 19.9% of the global electricity demand. Hydro is considered to be 60% reliable. 5.1 - 11.3 Cents/kW-h Hydro is currently the only source of renewable energy making substantive contributions to global energy demand. Hydro plants, however, can (obviously) only be built in a limited number of places, and can significantly damage aquatic ecosystems. SolarCurrently supplies approximately 0.8% of the global electricity demand. 15 - 30 Cents/kW-h Solar power has been expensive, but soon is expected to drop to as low as 3.5 cents/kW-h. Once the silicon shortage is remedied through alternative materials, a solar energy revolution is expected.

Tide 2 - 5 Cents/kW-h Blue Energy's tidal fence, engineered and ready for implementation, would provide a land bridge (road) while also generating electricity. Environmental impact is low. Tides are highly predictable.

Method Cents/kW-h Limitations and Externalities GasCurrently supplies around 15% of the global electricity demand. 3.9 - 4.4 Cents/kW-h Gas-fired plants and generally quicker and less expensive to build than coal or nuclear, but a relatively high percentage of the cost/KWh is derived from the cost of the fuel. Due to the current (and projected future) upwards trend in gas prices, there is uncertainty around the cost / KWh over the lifetime of plants. Gas burns more cleanly than coal, but the gas itself (largely methane) is a potent greenhouse gas. Some energy conversions to calculate your cost of natural gas per kwh. 100 cubic feet (CCF)~ 1 Therm = 100,000 btu ~ 29.3 kwh. CoalCurrently supplies around 38% of the global electricity demand. 4.8 - 5.5 Cents/kW-h Increasingly difficult to build new coal plants in the developed world, due to environmental requirements governing the plants. Growing concern about coal fired plants in the developing world (China, for instance, imposes less environmental overhead, and has large supplies of high sulphur content coal). The supply of coal is plentiful, but the coal generation method is perceived to make a larger contribution to air pollution than the rest of the methods combined.

One of the most important is that wind power is the least expensive of all other forms of alternative energy.  Wind turbines generate electricity at around 5 cents per kWh (Kilowatt Hour), which is comparable to the new coal and/or oil burning power plants.  The costs are projected to decline even more as technology improves, and this is very important because most of the cost with wind power is in manufacturing.  Once the wind turbines are in place there is little cost to maintain and wind power is free.

Fuel cell system costs have decreased significantly over the past several years but are still nearly twice as high as those for internal combustion engines. Likewise, onboard hydrogen storage costs are currently $15–$18/kWh for high-pressure gaseous storage, while the commercialization target is $2/kWh. There is potential to reduce this cost using lower-cost carbon fiber tanks or materials-based storage technologies, such as metal hydrides.

FCVs will have to offer consumers a viable alternative, especially in terms of performance, durability, and cost, to survive in this ultra-competitive market.

In 2006, wind power supplied 0.6% of US electricity but reduced CO2 emission from electricity production by a full 1%.

What really matters is the cost to society. With current subsidy methods, it costs around 3¢/kWh

  One-Time Cost per kW Capacity (usage) Factor Fixed Cost per kWh Variable Cost per kWh Total Cost per kWh Gas Turbine $439 15% 5.2¢ 8.7¢ 13.9¢ Coal $1,338 90% 2.7¢ 1.9¢ 4.5¢ Nuclear $2,180 90% 4.3¢ 0.3¢ 4.6¢ Wind $1,254* 30% 7.5¢ 0.0¢ 7.5¢

According to studies, an economically competitive geothermal power plant can cost as low as $3400 per kilowatt installed.

Like many renewable resources, geothermal resources need relatively high initial investments to access the heat, hot water and steam. But the geothermal "fuel" cost is predictable and stable. Fossil fuel supplies will increase in cost as reserves are exhausted. Fossil fuel supplies can be interrupted political disputes abroad. Renewable geothermal energy is a better long term investment.

Examples are the huge costs of global climate change; the health effects from ground level pollution of the air; future effects of pollution of water and land; military expenditures to protect petroleum sources and supply routes; and costs of safely storing radioactive waste for generations. Geothermal energy can already compete with the direct costs of conventional fuels in some locations and is a clean, indigenous, renewable resource without hidden external costs.

The cost of setting up a tidal power station can be very high, although once in place the operating costs are low. As an example of the cost of setting up, a proposed 8000 MW tidal power plant and barrage system on the Severn Estuary in the UK has been estimated to cost US$15 billion, while another in the San Bernadino strait which would produce 2,200 MW as a tidal fence in the Philippines will cost an estimated US$3 billion.

One of the most important is that wind power is the least expensive of all other forms of alternative energy.

Another tremendous benefit of wind power is that it is a sustainable source of energy and a clean source of energy

Because the energy is generated right near the plant, it saves on processing and transportation costs compared to other types of fuel.

The initial costs of geothermal energy are high -- wells can cost $1 to $4 million each to drill, and installation of a home geothermal pump system can run as much as $30,000

However, a home geothermal energy pump can cut energy bills by 30 to 40 percent and will pay for itself within 5 to 10 years

Wave energy is an irregular and oscillating low-frequency energy source that can be converted to a 60-Hertz frequency

Kinetic energy, the energy of motion, in waves is tremendous. An average 4-foot, 10-second wave striking a coast puts out more than 35,000 horsepower per mile of coast.

Because wave energy needs only 1/200 the land area of wind and requires no access roads, infrastructure costs are less;