An illustration of the nature of dynamic wholesale electricity prices in Queensland today

Following yesterday’s summary of the demand-induced price perturbations in the Queensland region, it was of interest to see some extremes in dispatch prices in Queensland today, separated by only a few minutes – with images taken from NEM-Watch:

At 11:35 market time, we saw the price spike to $3210.95/MW on the back of some constraint activity in the market.

A high priced dispatch interval in Queensland today

At 11:50 (so only 15 minutes later) we saw the price drop into negative territory as a result of the market response within the Trading Period.

Negative prices in Queensland today

Later in the day (at 14:50), we saw a rare occasion where the price landed neatly at $0/MWh:

Zero priced electricity in Queensland


Despite what it might appear, for market spectators reading the commentary here, the majority of the time the market could be termed as “boring” – with not much activity out of the ordinary.

It’s this fact, combined with the few instances of volatility each year, that make opportunities like demand side response so compelling.


About the Author

Paul McArdle
Paul was one of the founders of Global-Roam in February 2000. He is currently the CEO of the company and the principal author of WattClarity. Writing for WattClarity has become a natural extension of his work in understanding the electricity market, enabling him to lead the team in developing better software for clients. Before co-founding the company, Paul worked as a Mechanical Engineer for the Queensland Electricity Commission in the early 1990s. He also gained international experience in Japan, the United States, Canada, the UK, and Argentina as part of his ES Cornwall Memorial Scholarship.

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