For two remarkable winter evenings in 2007 (19th and 20th June specifically) NEM-Wide Instantaneous Reserve Plant Margin (IRPM) plunged to the lowest levels ever seen in the NEM (a mere 7.6%) as generators were caught short of capacity by a cold snap that hit earlier than expected, whilst plant was still out for maintenance and other plant still suffering from drought-inflicted limitations of capability.
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.
A short (and first) look at some of the market activity on a volatile evening in several regions – SA and VIC, and with QLD joining the fray a bit later.
It’s not looking that great, currently, for the supply/demand balance in South Australia this week – when viewing predispatch, ST PASA and AEMO’s Market Notices
This week saw very low average prices across the NEM (below $21/MWh average across the week in all mainland regions).
Except for 2 half-hours in Tasmania on Tuesday 7th February (when the price rose to just over $1,000/MWh), prices in Tasmania remained at and around $30/MWh for the whole week.
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