base·load
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Definition of baseload
: the amount of power made available by an energy producer (such as a power plant) to meet fundamental demands by consumers
—often used before another noun baseload powerWind and solar have the drag of unreliability. Unless attached to costly batteries they are useless for meeting baseload demand.— Jonathan Fahey
Examples of baseload in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Crucially, the California agencies say the existence of lower-cost, zero-carbon baseload power would significantly reduce the amount of solar and battery storage California would need to construct to meet its goal, also cutting the cost.
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Abby Smith, Washington Examiner, "California power projections underscore difficulty of Biden climate targets," 17 Mar. 2021
Many advocates argue that in light of the threat of climate change and the increasing need for carbon-free baseload electricity generation, nuclear power should play a role in the world’s future energy mix.
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Popular Science, "10 years after Fukushima, outdated nuclear power plants are still the norm," 11 Mar. 2021
The big problem was the loss of power from conventional baseload power plants.
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Robert Rapier, Forbes, "Natural Gas Performed Heroically In Texas, Until It Didn’t," 26 Feb. 2021
But that calculus ignored something critical: Wind and solar can’t provide baseload energy.
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Michael J. Coren, Quartz, "Geothermal energy, the forgotten renewable, has finally arrived," 20 Dec. 2020
Utilities weren’t prioritizing low-carbon baseload until now.
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Michael J. Coren, Quartz, "Geothermal energy, the forgotten renewable, has finally arrived," 20 Dec. 2020
The underlying point is that the world needs baseload power to supplement solar, especially power that can meet ramping electric-car demand and displace coal.
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William Levin, National Review, "We Have Time to Prevent Climate Change," 15 Dec. 2020
Closing baseload power plants can create a gap, said Rampal.
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Will Wade, Bloomberg.com, "Mini-Reactors Are Gaining Traction in the Push for Greener Grids," 31 Aug. 2020
Trump administration officials, however, blamed the California blackouts in part on the state moving away from nuclear energy, which can provide carbon-free baseload power to balance out intermittent resources, such as wind and solar energy.
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Abby Smith, Washington Examiner, "Trump says Biden climate plans would replicate California blackouts across the country," 18 Aug. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'baseload.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Last Updated
22 Mar 2021
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“Baseload.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baseload. Accessed 17 Apr. 2021.
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The first known use of baseload was in 1907
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