Systems and methods for providing generated power to a power grid subject to reactive power requirements. A reactive follower includes a reactive power generator coupled to a distributed power plant via a series impedance such as a step-up transformer. A reactive follower controller controls the reactive power generator on the basis of an estimated reactive power commanded by a reactive power management system and includes multi-variable control logic to determine when to increase reactive power produced by the reactive power generator based on the reactive power commanded by the distributed reactive power management system and point-of-interconnection measurements of power, reactive power, and voltage.