Offshore wind is now cheaper than nuclear and gas in the U.K. following the second Contracts for Difference (CfD) subsidy auction that saw two developers win the rights to build offshore wind farms for just £57.50/MWh ($75.83/MWh).

This strike price – achieved by Denmark’s Dong Energy and Spain’s EDP – is 50% below the guaranteed development price for offshore wind set just two years ago, and is far cheaper than the £92.50/MWh agreed between the government and EDF for the nuclear power station at Hinkley Point.

The stunning performance of offshore wind and Advanced Conversion Technologies (ACT) in the auction prompted a flurry of calls from prominent voices for Hinkley Point C to be finally scrapped. The Green Party’s co-leader Caroline Lucas remarked that these record low prices for wind power should be a nail in the coffin for new nuclear.

“While clean, green wind power has the potential to seriously cut people’s bills – the government’s undying commitment to new nuclear risks locking us into sky high prices for years to come,” Lucas said.

The Renewable Energy Association’s head of policy and external affairs, James Court, added: “These results show that renewables are now the most cost-effective form of any energy generation, which can future-proof both the U.K. grid and provide sustainable new jobs in the U.K. . .”