Fire at Tungatinah Hydro Power Station
Fire has damaged Tungatinah Hydro Power Station in Tasmania, out indefinitely.
All Posts
A partial answer to the questions ‘where is the Energy/Capacity going to come from’ … after Yallourn closure?
Four weeks ago we asked two questions 'where is the Energy/Capacity going to come from (in just 2 years) to replace all that Energy that Yallourn has been producing this winter?'. Here's the start of an answer to that question, though still incomplete...
AEMC publishes consultation paper on ‘Dispatch limits for inverter-based resources’ Rule Change Proposal
Last Thursday 27th August 2026, the AEMC published a consultation paper with respect to ‘Dispatch limits for inverter-based resources’.
What’s noted in the 2026 ESOO, about the looming closure of Yallourn Power Station?
It’s quite a topical question (that we’ve contributed to recently), so I thought I would have a look at what is noted within the ESOO about the looming closure of Yallourn.
Did ‘Three Hours Free Power’ produce a ~500MW unforecast jump in ‘Market Demand’ in Victoria on Fri 28th August 2026?
We noted a ~500MW jump in 'Market Demand' in Victoria just after 11:00 on Friday 28th August 2026 that was not forecast in advance. We wonder about 'three hours free' effects...
Only a small frequency drop, with rare full-load trip of Stanwell unit 3
The Stanwell Power Station coal units are some of the best performing coal units in the NEM … which is what made this full-load trip on Thursday 27th August 2026 just prior to 12:00 unusual.
Curious about the Quorn Park Hybrid station in NSW? I was…
Prompted by a RenewEconomy article, curiosity about the new Quorn Park Hybrid Facility (Solar/BESS) led me to this article.
*Why* the ‘switch-a-roo with the ESOO’?
Yesterday we wrote about ‘The grand ESOO Switch-a-Roo continues in 2026 … but hasn’t that approach jumped the shark?’. Following a tip from a reader (thanks!) this article at least helps to explain *when and why* the switch came about.
Solar stop test completed in South Australia
On Tuesday 25 August SA Power Networks had planned to conduct its annual test of its ability to temporarily curtail rooftop solar generation.
The boundary effect
NEM demand tragic and occasional WattClarity guest author Allan O'Neil drills into an apparent discrepancy in AEMO's demand calculations following the 1 July 2026 transition of the Basslink interconnector from MNSP market participant to Regulated status.
Guest Authored Posts
The boundary effect
NEM demand tragic and occasional WattClarity guest author Allan O'Neil drills into an apparent discrepancy in AEMO's demand calculations following the 1 July 2026 transition of the Basslink interconnector from MNSP market participant to Regulated status.
Australia’s East Coast winter gas market softens as volatility rises
Krishan Pal Birda from Rystad takes a look at winter 2026 gas demand in south-eastern Australia, and explores what it might mean for future years.
Detailed Analysis
A partial answer to the questions ‘where is the Energy/Capacity going to come from’ … after Yallourn closure?
Four weeks ago we asked two questions 'where is the Energy/Capacity going to come from (in just 2 years) to replace all that Energy that Yallourn has been producing this winter?'. Here's the start of an answer to that question, though still incomplete...
How the CIS differs from state-based underwriting schemes, and what the industry has suggested about it so far
We look at five design differences between the Capacity Investment Scheme and the state auction schemes that came before and alongside it — and the improvements we've heard suggested by industry and the Nelson Review panel.
Revisiting the CIS-awarded project pipeline, ahead of the ESOO 2026
A year on from our 4-part series about the CIS, we take an updated look at the 89 projects awarded across the scheme's five NEM tenders — comparing what proponents have actually announced compared to the status AEMO assigns them for ESOO reliability modelling.
A down year: a review of Q2 2026 spot prices
This is the 2026 edition of our annual review into Q2 spot prices, where we find that average prices fell sharply in all NEM regions compared to Q2 2025, but more importantly, duration curves are changing shape.
Reflections on supply and demand from a week split between attending and presenting at two very different industry conferences
Last week our team attended the CEC's Wind Industry Forum, then I presented at the EUAA's National Conference the next day. Moving between them in under 48 hours sharply reminded me how differently the NEM's supply and demand sides frame the challenges ahead.
A further look at wind forecasts in the ST PASA timeframe
The trend for declining skill as outlook increases is fairly linear. Encouragingly, outlooks at the 6-day mark still have better skill than random.
An initial look at 6-day ahead Wind Uncertainty
Uncertainty fluctuates considerably in the 6-day ahead forecasts. Some locations, appear to be generally more predictable than others, Queensland sites in particular.
A big clue to one causal factor in both frequency spikes (on Friday 10th April 2026 and Saturday 11th April 2026)
Next layer of the onion, in investigating the eerily similar (and closely related) frequency spikes outside the NOFB on Friday 10th April 2026 and Saturday 11th April 2026.