The area under a load curve gives

The correct answer is: B. energy consumed.

The area under a load curve gives the total energy consumed during a given period of time. This is because the area under a curve is equal to the integral of the function over the interval. In this case, the function is the load curve, which gives the power demand as a function of time. The integral of the load curve over a given period of time gives the total energy consumed during that period.

The other options are incorrect because:

• Option A: average demand is not equal to the area under the load curve. The average demand is equal to the total energy consumed divided by the time period.
• Option C: maximum demand is not equal to the area under the load curve. The maximum demand is the highest value of the load curve.
• Option D: none of the above is correct.