OH MY GOD. HOW HAS NO ONE EVER TOLD ME ABOUT HOW THE TURBINES WORK!? THEY HAVE TO SPIN AT THE SAME RATE!?,(reply>), @Rossco nuclear is very pleasant,(reply>), @Tom Scott You could say that for the alternating current they have no alternative but to work all time.,(reply>), @Tom Scott I vaguely remember hearing about some turbines that generate DC power, which allows the frequency at which they rotate to vary with wind conditions.  The current is then collected, converted to AC using an inverter and the voltage changed using a transformer before feeding into the grid.,(reply>), Think of generators and motors like a giant tandem bicycle, but with millions of them all connected to the same chain. They all turn at the same speed, but the generators push hard on the pedals, while the motors are dragging their feet and pull power off the system.<br><br>If you put on another cyclist, you have to match your cadence to the already spinning chain before connecting.,(reply>), @richb313 Presumably a smart grid control doesn't necessarily need to be centralised?