>however, when renewables aren't providing power, something is and that something has a cost.

Hence all that electricity imported from, e.g. France in winter. Some people might be under the illusion that this was free but I can assure you I am not.

There's a reason Europe is super keen on country interconnectors. It really helps smooth out production.

Intermittency of renewables really has become the next Y2k. I suppose we can thank a decade of carbon and nuclear lobby fearmongering for that :/

Like Y2K as a problem it receives relatively too much attention relative to the problems it causes. The rolling blackouts germany was promised ~10 years ago never materialized, for instance:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/may/23/germany-...