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Base Load
Practical Law Glossary Item 0-517-7908 (Approx. 3 pages)
Glossary
Base Load
Refers either to:
- The minimum level of electricity a utility or other load provider must provide to its customers over a period of time on a constant basis.
- The amount of power required to meet minimum electricity demand based on reasonable expectations of customer requirements.
This amount varies depending on the day and the season. For example, the base load during the summer is usually higher than the base load during the winter. To ensure that it meets its base load requirements, utilities typically purchase power from power producers that can run at full or near capacity on a consistent basis (usually coal-fired, natural gas, or nuclear plants).
Renewable power plants (for example, biomass and geothermal plants) can also be used to meet base load demand. Wind and solar energy plants are generally not used to meet a utility's base load demand because of the intermittency of these resources. Although they may be used if these projects are paired with a battery energy storage system. For more information on renewable energy and these issues, see Practice Notes, Renewable Energy: Overview (US) and Power Purchase Agreements: Key Issues and Provisions.