Originally Posted by
jungle
You are correct. Plants produce as demand dictates. The grid really has no major storage capability.
As a demonstration project, the TVA built a large reservoir in the mountains, connected to the valley below by a massive water pipe. During periods of low demand, they would use surplus electricity to pump water up there, then let it out to run a turbine during peak demand. Don't know how successful this has been, or whether they will ever recover the cost to build it.