More network trips in northern NSW, on Friday 7th March 2025 (is TC Alfred involved?)
The AEMO notes that, at 06:12 (NEM time) on Friday 7th March 2025 various 132kV lines between Lismore and Mullumbimby tripped, along with No 1 and 2 cables...
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High level uncertainty about daytime QLD (and to a lesser extent NSW) ‘Market Demand’ with TC Alfred
AEMO is seeing considerable uncertainty in forecasting daytime 'Market Demand' for QLD (and NSW, to lesser extent) in the near term due to uncertainties in the approach of...
Overview of Regulation FCAS costs in 2024
This article reviews regulation FCAS costs in 2024, relative to maximum capacity, and uncovers drivers behind high non-scheduled unit costs.
Regulation prices and enablement – a historical review
The introduction of frequency performance payments in 2025 changes how costs of regulating frequency are quantified and allocated. This article inspects historical trends in regulation FCAS enablement levels...
(A first step into the complexities of) the Dispatch Interval in the Real World
A third step in the 'Energy Literacy' journey in helping readers to understand the complexities within each and every Dispatch Interval.
Afternoon trip of Bayswater unit 3 delivers rapid drop in Mainland Frequency
A quick record of a unit trip at Bayswater Power Station on Wednesday afternoon 5th March 2025.
Unplanned outage of No 1 leg of Directlink (was this related to the emergence of TC Alfred?)
AEMO says 'At 1030 hrs the Ewingsdale-Mullumbimby 9G5 132kV line and the Directlink DC1 tripped'. Was this related to TC Albert?
Comparing Frequency Measures (Frequency, FI, FM)
The faster-moving nature of the FM, with the introduction of FPP, removes predictability in the indicator for frequency performance.
The curious case of the ‘Q^^TR_CLHA_-600’ constraint equation on Monday 3rd March 2025 (Part 1)
A first walk through the ‘Q^^TR_CLHA_-600’ constraint equation (at the 10:00 dispatch interval on Monday 3rd March 2025), before 'next day public' data is available.
Watt’s Within a Dispatch Interval? A *very* simplistic view, for a start…
A second step in the 'Energy Literacy' journey in helping readers to understand the complexities within each and every Dispatch Interval.
Three of the common building blocks within the National Electricity Market
This article is a first step into exploring some of the complexities within three of the commonly used time-steps across the NEM.
‘Market Demand’ drops 401MW in 5 minutes on Sunday 2nd March 2025
All I have time to do now is note another change greater than 400MW in a 5-minute period – this time in in Victoria to the 11:10 dispatch...
AER wrote letters to Semi-Scheduled participants (and others) with respect to ‘Expectations surrounding the use of self-forecasting’
At the end of February 2025, the AER wrote to Semi-Scheduled generators, and other interested parties, warning of the AER’s concerns about self-forecasting practices.
Only 14 weeks to go until Frequency Performance Payments
Full financial operation commences 8 June 2025.
Incentivising primary frequency response
The implementation of the Primary frequency response incentive arrangements rule is driving change in how system frequency is controlled and paid-for. The changes stem from how the NEM...
About System Frequency
The NEM operates at a frequency of 50 hertz (Hz) which means the alternating current should cycle 50 times a second between positive and negative voltage.
Up, up and away … Market Price Cap to increase by $2,800/MWh (or 16%)
The AEMC has announced that the Market Price Cap will increase to $20,300/MWh from 1st July 2025. Should we be so surprised?
Is VRE forecastable? (Part 1 in what might be a series)
Over many years we've invested deeply in analysing the nuanced answer to the question 'Is VRE Forecastable?'. This article (which has almost been posted many times before) is...
What’s happened to those Semi-Scheduled units registered to provide FCAS?
Following a question from a client today, we take a quick look at (some of) what the GSD2024 reveals of FCAS market participation of Semi-Scheduled units.
Hot chips, algorithms and electricity markets
Declan Kelly thinks through and discusses competition issues that could arise from the increasing proliferation of auto-bidding software by big batteries in the NEM - and suggests some...