Part 4/11:
Traditional power plants—nuclear, coal, gas, and renewables—are often built to meet these peak demands. But this approach is inherently wasteful since a significant portion of energy generated during off-peak hours sits unused. For example, base load plants like nuclear always run at full capacity regardless of demand, while peaker plants are used temporarily and less efficiently, resulting in an estimated 10-12% energy waste globally.
This inefficiency inflates the cost, complexity, and environmental footprint of maintaining a resilient energy system.