[pfdietz]

When we say a source is "baseload", we're not saying something good about it. What that means is that source's business case depends on being able to sell its output most of the time. It's a word describing economic inflexibility.

There is no reason why a grid needs any baseload sources whatsoever.

[Spooky23]

It’s not good or bad, it’s just the nature of the beast.

The nature of a nuclear plant is that it is incredibly capital intensive, and needs to operate at capacity to work financially.

Solar is interesting because it’s peak output aligns with peak demand. Your solar farm isn’t going to do much for you st night, but that’s ok because you don’t need the power!

[pfdietz]

PV is also interesting because the levelized cost of power from it has become very good, especially in areas of high insolation, and because its costs continue to rapidly decline. Low cost gives all sorts of headroom for such things as overbuilding and low efficiency storage.

[ThomPete]

In what world do you not need power at night? That's the most absurd claim I have heard in a long time.

[Spooky23]

Peak load is aligned with sunlight.

Depending on where you live, many of the on-demand power generators like gas and solar farms are idle.

[ThomPete]

Not if you go to Scandinavia.

[toomuchtodo]

Which is what HVDC transmission lines are for to other countries with disparate low/zero carbon energy sources.