EIA: “About 25% of U.S. power plants can start up within an hour”
Renewable energy advocates like to hide this very fact but their very existence requires the construction and operation of a full secondary power production system. Thats the only way to be sure that power will be available when there is no or insufficient wind and sun. BUT – those backup plants would not need the wind and solar plants to function at any time and at any rate that we desire. This means if all wind and solar disappeared today, the backup system would be able to keep us safe (at least theoretically). Renewable Energy is therefore superfluous as it needs the backup but the backup does not need it. One system is cheaper than two, no matter how much the backup system might cost or not.
Watts Up With That? 
