Initial Thoughts about the AEMO’s Electricity Statement of Opportunities (ESOO) for 2009
Some initial, scattered, thoughts (late on the day of its launch) about the AEMO's first production of the Electricity Statement of Opportunities for 2009
Articles by 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.
A beautiful summer’s day for South-East Queensland – in August
A snapshot towards the end of a remarkable day in August 2009 when temperatures soared in South-East Queensland (yes, that's in winter).
Further thoughts about Summer 2008-09 (the heatwave, bushfires, new demand peak, and blackouts)
Summer 2008-09 is now well behind us, and there are a number of official reviews underway that will report back at some stage. Even so, we’ve been continuing to ponder a couple of things...
Should last summer’s peak NEM-Wide demand have surprised us so much?
We saw a massive new peak for NEM-Wide demand set on 29th January 2009, which surprised many (including us). We return to that data and, by comparing with the previous 10 summers, see whether...
Impact of the GFC on the NEM?
Out of curiosity, we have performed some analysis of the extent to which the GFC has had an impact on the level of consumption of electricity across the NEM.
What impact has the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) had on the NEM?
Given that the 2008-09 financial year has just ended, I thought it would be an appropriate time to look into what impact the GFC has had on electricity demand in the NEM.
A brief look at peak NEM-Wide Demand over recent winters
This weekend, we have prepared this analysis of the entries we received for our “Peak Demand Forecaster” competition for winter 2009. In conjunction with this analysis, we thought it would be of interest to...
Summary of entries received for the “Best Demand Forecaster” competition for Winter 2009
A couple of weeks ago, we opened for entries in our “Best Demand Forecaster” competition – run for the first time during winter. Entries closed on Monday 29th June (2 weeks ago now) but...
Price cap lifted, and Tassie price spikes again
We reported previously that a price cap was invoked in Tasmania on Tuesday 16th June because the Cumulative Price Threshold was reached. In official terminology, this was an Administered Price Period (APP). At 04:00AM...
Tassie hits the Cumulative Price Threshold
For only the third occasion in the 10 1/2 years that the NEM has been operational, the Cumulative Price Threshold (CPT) has been reached. Yesterday evening, the CPT was reached in the Tasmanian region.
Win an Espresso Coffee Machine as the Best Demand Forecaster for Winter 2009
The "Who's the Best Demand Forecaster in the NEM?" challenge for winter 2009. Tell us the peak demand for this winter by 9AM Monday 29th June, and win your choice of espresso machine.
A review of recent winters in the NEM
For those who weren't aware, Winter 2009 has seen us offer our "Who's the Best Demand Forecaster in the NEM" challenge - as a chance for the market to redeem itself, following what happened...
Prices Surge in QLD and NSW as Demand Climbs
We noted yesterday (Wednesday 10th June) that NEM-wide demand climbed past 32,000MW for the first time this winter. The following evening saw demand climb to similar levels (a peak of 32,054MW at 18:20 -...
Winter 2009
Miscellaneous articles on activity in the NEM during winter 2009.
First Spike in Demand this Winter As Temperatures Plunge
On Wednesday 10th June 2009, temperatures plunged across the NEM for the first time this winter, providing a long-awaited dump of snow to start the season, and driving electricity demand high.
November in the NEM (a review of 10 years of history)
One of 12 articles on the months past in the NEM - investigating the trends and significant events in the National Electricity Market during November.
October in the NEM (a review of 10 years of history)
One of 12 articles on the months past in the NEM - in which we examine the trends in price and demand across the NEM for the month of October.
Earth Hour 2009 – Impact on Australia’s National Electricity Market
The third Earth Hour event has yet again spurred fierce debate. As commentators come to accept the fact that Earth Hour is a largely symbolic occasion, the question is raised - what needs to...
Earth Hour 2008 – Impact on Australia’s National Electricity Market
In 2008 Earth Hour spread across Australia (and the globe), inciting further participation and debate. In this article we compare reported energy usage statistics with demand data from regions across the NEM, and consider...
Earth Hour
“Earth Hour” was a concept developed by the WWF to promote awareness of the risks of climate change. It first ran just in Sydney in 2007, and generated considerable interest, on both sides of...