In human time, five minutes might seem pretty quick, given that we are talking about moving a mechanical system as massive and complicated as a coal-burning power plant, which pulverizes and combusts, on average, 125 tons of coal every five minutes. But in electricity time, which is what matters to grid stability, five minutes might as well be infinity. In five minutes, electrical current generated by a power plant outside Muncie, Indiana, can go to Mars.
