[rabscuttler]

Fair point about California's negative LMPs, but I think for a lot of regions in the US there is still a lot of room for renewable growth.

But it is fair to compare LCOEs because solar usually gets its value through long-term PPAs; either utility to generator, or even through the rate-base, and the price of that is effectively set by the LCOE. Despite missing out a lot of the other factors that you reasonably bring up, from system costs to locational factors.