We’re only a few months away from Project Energy Connect becoming directly visible in the NEM dataset … so we’re in the process of upgrading our various software applications to make this visible in the software:
1) For a couple reasons we chose to do this for our deSide® software first
… focused software for Large Energy Users interacting with the NEM via a particular form of Demand Response
2) Other applications (like ez2view and NEMwatch) will follow soon:
… within ez2view:
(a) Some widgets in ez2view (like the ‘Interconnector Dashboard’ widget , and the ‘Trends Engine’ will automatically update/appear)
(b) But some will need a bit of manual work.
A simple explanation …
We thought it would be worth deliberately veering away from the many rabbit holes that pertain to the question ‘how will Project Energy Connect appear in NEM Data?’ and present the following 3 highlights as all that a sizeable number of our readers will really need to know…
Principle #1) Remember the difference between transmission lines and Inter-Regional Interconnectors!
Let’s start at the start, by reminding readers here of the critical distinction between a bunch of physical transmission lines (and other assets) and the representations of the same with respect to Inter-Regional Interconnectors.
On 20th November 2024 we shared that ‘An inter-regional interconnector refers to *the whole of* the transmission path between RRNs’ to explain:
Principle #2) What’s it going to be called?
Slightly earlier this year, the AEMO confirmed our supposition (noted in the image above) that this new interconnector will be known as NSW1-SA1 … though I expect many stakeholders will continue to call it ‘PEC’.
1) The principle of the naming convention continues
2) Those ez2view clients who’ve sat in on (or listened to the recordings of) training sessions we’ve provided might recall me saying something along the lines of:
‘I find it easiest to remember that it’s Hobart centric:
(a) Flow away from Hobart (to the north and/or west) is positive
(b) Flow towards Hobart (to the east and/or south) is negative’.
… so that principle still holds here.
Principle #3) The Headline Date…
In terms of a ‘go live’ date, it’s 1st October 2026 that you particularly want to be aware of … though there’s a few other dates that fill in a bit more colour:
| Key Dates | Headline |
|---|---|
Before PEC was ‘a thing’from the 1990’s (or before?) |
Worth reflecting on the fact that, before Project EnergyConnect was conceived as a specific project, there had been several earlier attempts to conceive of, and justify, an interconnector between SA and NSW. Some might remember Riverlink and SANI, for instance…. |
Project conception and construction2016 to 2025
|
Here on WattClarity®, we’ve previously written a number of articles about Project EnergyConnect, and have collated them here in this sub-category. Of particular interest might be the two-part series by Dan Lee:
|
‘PEC Stage 1’late 2024 to October 2026 |
Last week we posted ‘~28 years of history for the VIC-SA interconnector, in one chart’ in part to highlight the relatively brief period of time (i.e. from early 2025) when PEC Stage 1 began operating, modelled within NEMDE by AEMO temporarily as an upgrade on the VIC-SA interconnector. Also collated in that same category that shed more light on its operations. I’d like to particularly draw attention to the first article collated there about the testing:
|
Go Live, for ‘PEC Stage 2’ |
As noted above, the current plan at the AEMO is that PEC Stage 2 will ‘Go Live’ on Thursday 1st October 2026. It’s perhaps important that, at a high level, readers here understand two points here 1) This will mean that NSW1-SA1 data will start to become visible in some data sets (hence in some widgets in ez2view and our other software) some time before that, on account of AEMO’s forecasting process … i.e. PASA and Predispatch 2) With NSW1-SA1 up and running, this also means (I believe) that the temporarily boosted capacity on VIC-SA (used to model PEC Stage 1) will be removed … … as a result, VIC-SA will revert to a purer form of the ‘Heywood’ interconnector. |
Commissioning |
Once PEC Stage 2 appears in AEMO systems, there will be a progressive process of commissioning, as the flows and the limits are progressively stepped up. We’ll probably write an article or two about this progress… |
Into the future |
Looking further into the future, after commissioning is completed, we’ll expect to see some closures of (higher-cost) firming capacity in South Australia as a result of the depressed business case for such assets as a result of the increased interconnection capacity. Indeed, some of this is already flagged in AEMO’s generation outlook. |
Rabbit holes and gory details …
For those more demanding readers who seek to understand more of what’s down rabbit holes relating to loop flows, to inter-regional settlements residue management processes and clamping of flows because of NRM, and so on – then, as a first port of call, I’d recommend you flip through this 39-page slide-pack from a presentation about the project on 13th April 2026:
If, for whatever reason that link does not work, you can access it off the ‘Resources’ page here for the project.
However I’d emphasise that, for a sizeable number of our readers, you might not need to delve down there…
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