New Energy Is The New Way To Run The Grid

Report: “Baseload” an Outdated Term for Today’s Changing Electricity Grid; Flexibility key to delivering cost-effective & reliable service

June 26, 2017 (Natural Resources Defense Council)

“The nation’s electricity grid operators are increasingly turning to more flexible resources and low-cost renewable energy options like wind and solar, rendering outdated the notion that ‘baseload’ generating plants are required to reliably power America’s homes and businesses…[Advancing Past “Baseload” to a Flexible Grid: How Grid Planners and Power Markets Are Better Defining System Needs to Achieve a Cost-Effective and Reliable Supply Mix found the term ‘baseload’ is outdated because today’s] grid planners increasingly value] resource flexibility to make it easier to balance supply and demand in real time…[B]aseload plants are limited in providing this flexibility because they cannot be easily turned on and off without incurring significant costs…Portfolios of different resource types [including flexible conventional power, variable renewables, distributed generation, energy efficiency, demand response, and emerging technologies like battery storage] can reliably and cost-effectively serve customers’ needs…” click here for more

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