The Load Curve: A Foundational Blueprint for Power Station Design and Strategic Siting The Load Curve: A Foundational Blueprint for Power Station Design and Strategic Siting 1 Executive Summary 2 Section 1: Deconstructing the Electrical Load Curve: The Pulse of Power Demand 2 1.1 Defining the Load Curve: A Chronological Record of Demand 2 1.2 The Load Duration Curve (LDC): An Economic Reorganization of Demand Data 3 1.3 Key Segments of the Load Curve: Base, Intermediate, and Peak Load 4 1.4 Critical Metrics Derived from the Load Curve 4 Section 2: The Load Curve as the Blueprint for Generation Fleet Design 6 2.1 The Economic Dispatch Principle: Stacking Generation by Cost 6 2.2 Baseload Generation: The Workhorses of the Grid 6 2.3 Peaking Generation: The Rapid Responders 7 2.4 Intermediate (Load-Following) Generation: The Flexible Middle 7 Section 3: The Geographical Imperative: Strategic Siting of Power Stations 8 3.1 Identifying Load Centers: The Geogr...