Which statement correctly describes baseload and peak load and how their energy sources meet them?

• A. Baseload is the minimum continuous demand; peak load is the highest demand; baseload is typically met by steady sources like coal or nuclear, while peaking is met by fast-response plants and flexible renewables with storage.
• B. Baseload is energy produced by solar during the day; peak load is nighttime demand.
• C. Baseload is always supplied by wind, while peak by hydro.
• D. Baseload is the same as peak load.

Answer: (A)

Baseload is the minimum level of electricity demand that must be met continuously over time, while peak load is the highest level of demand that occurs during certain periods. To meet baseload, power plants need to run steadily and reliably at high capacity factors; they are typically large, dispatchable, and economical to operate for long periods. That’s why steady sources like coal or nuclear are commonly associated with baseload—they can maintain a constant output.

Peaking, on the other hand, happens when demand spikes for short periods. This requires quick-starting, highly flexible plants that can ramp up and down fast, as well as renewables that can be paired with storage or other flexible resources to respond to sudden needs. Those fast-response plants and flexible renewables with storage are well suited to meet peak load.

The other statements are limited or misleading: baseload is not defined by solar output, nor is it universally supplied by wind or hydro, and baseload is not the same as peak load.