Imagine that you want to bake some cookies, but you don't know how many you will need. So, you start with a big bowl of dough and slowly add ingredients until you have enough cookies. This is sort of what a load following power plant does.
A load following power plant is like a baker who can adjust the amount of dough they are making based on how many cookies they need to bake. The power plant is able to adjust the amount of energy it produces based on the fluctuating levels of demand for electricity.
For example, during peak hours when everyone is using lots of electricity, the load following power plant will produce more energy to meet the demand. Similarly, during times when less electricity is needed, the power plant will produce less energy.
Load following power plants typically use fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, or oil to produce electricity. They might also use renewable sources like wind or solar, but those sources can be a little trickier to balance because they depend on things like weather and wind speed.
Overall, the goal of a load following power plant is to provide a steady supply of electricity, even when demand is constantly changing. This helps ensure that people always have access to the power they need, no matter what time of day it is.