Baseload is traditionally about generation, not consumption. And baseload generation only makes sense when it is the cheapest option.

When solar and wind produce at near-zero marginal cost, running inflexible baseload beside them just forces cheaper generation to switch off, driving up system costs.

What the grid needs is dispatchable capacity - batteries, hydro, gas peakers (if we must) and demand shifting - that can plug the gaps when cheaper forms of generation cannot.

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cbmuser 9 hours ago | parent [-]

It sounds great in theory but doesn’t work in practice.

Just compare Germany to France.

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dalyons 6 hours ago | parent [-]

This is such a tired trope. The differences between the two countries present day energy situation doesn’t tell you anything about how the world should proceed tomorrow.

Unless you have a time machine that you can use to get every country to build state subsided nuclear 50 years ago.

	▲	pfdietz 6 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Not even France can replicate their nuclear construction of decades ago.