> why should a gas plant get more for its electricity when it's indistinguishable from solar electricity?
I already wrote it: levels of service. A gas plant powers up in minutes. A coal plant in hours. A nuclear reactor in years. Solar and wind isn’t controllable at all.
The cheaper suppliers actually bid with their prices, and why wouldn’t those prices be fair then? The EU then goes and gives them more than they offered. Make it make sense. Google „merit order“.
It‘s still a gamble for suppliers btw. The prices change every 15 minutes, and every cheap supplier is at the whim of more expensive suppliers.
I already wrote it: levels of service. A gas plant powers up in minutes. A coal plant in hours. A nuclear reactor in years. Solar and wind isn’t controllable at all.