Electrical grid: Difference between revisions

Other dispatchable sources can also provide base – as well as intermediate and peak – load, but nondispatchable sources such as wind can not. Wind energy is produced in response to the wind instead of actual demand on the grid. It thus acts like “negative demand”, and the grid must adjust other sources to balance the fluctuating and largely unpredictable infeed from wind turbines as well as the more predictable user demand.<ref>https://wind-watch.org/pix/displayimage.php?pid=494</ref><ref>https://wind-watch.org/pix/displayimage.php?pid=493</ref><ref>https://wind-watch.org/pix/displayimage.php?pid=660</ref> This causes the grid to operate less efficiently, including causing fossil fuel plants to burn more fuel – and emit more CO₂ etc. – in relation to the electricity produced.<ref>https://wind-watch.org/pix/displayimage.php?pid=515</ref> It is analogous to stop-and-go city versus highway driving.