In California, Nuclear Turns Off and Prices Go Up

[FBaggins]

17. We do have thousands of wind turbines soread over a large area

And you absolutely can not "plan for a certain level of production".

renewables have more gentle and predictable variations

If by that you mean that individual units don't produce much, so their individual loss is "gentle"... and that you can predict that they will vary (as opposed to predicting the actual variations in advance)... then you would be correct. But I don't think that's what you meant.

which is why they have been so successful in places like northern Germany, where they produce up to 50 percent and more power in some states, with no backup other than load balancing in the grid.

There really isn't much correct there beyond the spelling. They do not produce 50% and more of their power with solar, except for very short periods... and they certainly don't do it without backup.