It’s now cheaper to install solar and wind power—without subsidies—in the US than it is to continue running fossil fuel power plants. That topped the news in the renewable energy world but it was a busy week. Tesla also announced that it will drop the costs of its solar panel roofs by up to 25 percent.

Things are shaking up at Tesla as the company strives to move forward both in auto manufacturing and solar installations. To help regain its spot as the nation’s largest home solar installer, the company announced it would slash the prices of average home solar installations by up to 25 percent or between $3,000 and $5,000. 

The cost of utility-scale solar power has fallen as low as $36 per megawatt hour (MWh) in the US—without subsidies. That makes it as cheap as the marginal or direct costs of power from coal-fired power plants and less than the cost of power from natural gas fired power plants. That’s according to the latest Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) analysis from Lazard, which benchmarks the cost of producing electricity across the US.

While rigid silicon solar panels dominate solar energy industry, flexible solar panels and cells have multiple uses and will prove valuable in certain markets, a new report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found. The report identified three key markets where flexible solar will prove more valuable in the near future, but one key concern is keeping it light, as in weight. 

On its way to becoming carbon neutral The University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) announced that it’s signed a deal to save it $6 million in energy costs while adding a 2 megawatt solar array and a 1.2 MW hour (MWh) energy storage system. Showing that once again going green, saves green. 

Last week’s elections ushered in a slew of new pro-renewable energy candidates and a couple of key decisions boosting renewable energy. Solar also is gaining ground in the Southeast with numerous new projects being announced in states with previously little solar. 

Utilities keep seeing the value of low-cost solar as an energy producer increasing and are supporting larger projects across more of the US. Case in point, two giant solar projects, a 100 megawatt solar farm in Mississippi and a 200 MW solar farm in Georgia, were announced on Nov. 8. Both are the largest in their respective states.

Under a new sonnen and Pearl Homes Partnership the Hunters Point, Pearl Homes Community and Marina in Cortez, FL, will have 148 homes and 720 apartments pursuing net-zero energy and LEED Platinum thanks to solar power, energy storage and Google Home. The companies are touting it is as the first affordable rental community development of its size to pursue the certification.

Last night clean energy wasn’t first and foremost on ballots across most of the country but a slew of newly elected lawmakers across the country are supporting clean energy more than ever before, raising hopes from renewable energy advocates and conservationists. While clean energy propositions didn’t pass in every state—Nevada was a bright spot—it shows hope for future initiatives. 

The largest solar installations in Alabama and Tennessee, totaling 377MWs will power Facebook’s data center in Huntsville, AL, allowing it to be powered with 100 percent renewable energy. It’s part of the social media giant’s efforts to go 100 percent renewable across all its facilities and operations by the end of 2020.