(I think dependable base load power is a red herring.  It really assumes a lifestyle...sorta like "Well, everyone has to commute to work at the same time, don't they?"  Well, er, no.)

(Not to mention all the great ideas coming up about how to store energy to create a steady base.  I liked Migeru's idea of a huge spring being cranked down--or was it a huge weight on a spring being bent over?  All the technophiles should be raring to go...so much new technology! and loads more on the cusp of discovery.)

Don't fight forces, use them R. Buckminster Fuller.