In late June in Dubai, the future of energy production in this country hit an incredible milestone: a major power plant construction bid was won by a solar plant that will deliver electricity at $0.29/kWh, which is cheaper than coal, without any subsidies. You can read more about this story in this Forbes.com article.

That’s right. In at least some parts of the world, it is now more cost effective to build solar than coal.

This is an incredible turning point in human energy history, especially when it’s combined with the potential of electric cars to dramatically reduce the consumption of oil.

All of a sudden humanity has a path towards radically reducing our reliance on burning two of the dirtiest fossil fuels to produce the energy we need to live our lives and run our economies. And not just because it’s the right thing to do for the health of our planet, but because it’s the most profitable option available.

It’s amazing to think about how far green energy has come in the last 20 years, and yet it’s even more amazing to think about how much further it’s going to go in the next 20 as this shift in economics is going to unleash a wave of green energy innovations that are set to redefine what energy means in the 21st century.

If you want a more in-depth look at this tipping point in green energy as well as a glimpse into how some countries are living the future with their innovative greening of their energy infrastructures, check out the video below.