baseload

noun

base·​load ˈbās-ˌlōd 

: 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 power

Wind 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

Demand growth, baseload retirements, extreme weather, and policy paralysis are colliding to create a fragile system. —Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025

Some tech firms, such as Amazon Web Services, are even lobbying to connect existing baseload power plants directly to their facilities, diverting supply from the public. —Anisha Steephen, Time, 26 Aug. 2025

When Colorado closes the last of its coal plants in 2031, additional clean energy sources capable of supplying baseload power will need to be in place. —Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 25 Aug. 2025

With demand skyrocketing, and immense and persistent challenges facing additions of new baseload power generation, the power plants already connected to the grid will be more critical than ever. —Syd S. Peng, Boston Herald, 8 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

base entry 1 + load entry 1

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for baseload

• afterload
• episode
• internode
• microcode
• multimode
• nematode
• nesselrode
• overflowed
• overload
• overrode
• radioed
• torpedoed