Update to Constraint Violation Penalty (CVP) Factors – effective 19th September 2025
Referencing AEMO's MN129117 published Tuesday 16th September 2025 with respect to this Friday 19th September 2025.
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.
Six different lenses to view the ESOO 2025 … giving wildly different perspectives
About 4 weeks ago the 2025 ESOO was released. In this article we highlight 3 x 2 different ways this might be viewed - and note some other dimensions not considered.
‘we’re moving fast, but not fast enough’
Also featuring in the (perhaps misnamed) 'Faster than Forecast' session was David Dixon from Rystad - here's two things that jumped out to me.
‘the ISP Step Change Scenario is divorced from reality’
A short note about some comments made by Oliver Nunn during the 'Faster than Forecast' session at Queensland Clean Energy Summit on Mon 15th Sept 2025.
The ‘Faster than Forecast’ session in the afternoon of day 1 CEC’s QCES 2025
I thought it was worth noting a couple of observations following the afternoon session at day 1 of Queensland Clean Energy Summit, titled ‘Faster than Forecast’.
Two big climate-related documents for Australia released on Monday 15th September 2025
Whilst attending day 1 of the CEC’s ‘Queensland Clean Energy Summit 2025’ yesterday we noticed the release of the Climate Risk Assessment, and the Adaptation Plan
Frequency drop on Thursday evening 11th Sept 2025 with Tallawarra B trip
A quick article to explore a frequency drop on Thursday evening 11th September 2025.
Will I see you at the inaugural ‘NEMdev’ conference in Brisbane on Tue 7th and Wed 8th October 2025?
Worth a short note to point readers here to the current details about the conference – which is to be held in Brisbane on Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 8th October 2025.
3.5 months after the turbine fire at Bulgana Wind Farm, we take an updated look
Combining together a bundle of different metrics related to the 'availability' of a wind farm, we take a look at what's happened at Bulgana Wind Farm over the past ~25 months.
The new ‘V_NWVIC_GFT1_750’ constraint equation binds, on Wednesday evening 10th September 2025
A short article to look at the first instance of the new ‘V_NWVIC_GFT1_750’ constraint equation binding - on Wednesday evening 10th September 2025 (not 36 hours after it had first been introduced).
Newport Power Station running, with Yallourn’s yips yielding 1 unit operations
We noticed Bruce Mountain’s comments on LinkedIn about Newport power station running overnight, so had a look in ez2view.
Noting the NERC Alert ‘Large Load Interconnection, Study, Commissioning, and Operations’
A quick note to call attention to this recent alert from NERC with respect to ‘Large Load Interconnection, Study, Commissioning, and Operations’
Wobbles at Yallourn unit 4
A brief look at recent operational challenges at Yallourn unit 4.
Highlighting particular (frequency and/or AggROT) events through 2024 and 2025
In this article, we tie together various events since 1st January 2024 that featured either System Frequency outside the NOFB and large AggROT for Semi-Scheduled assets.
Outage at Vales Point unit 5 extended – return to service now not expected until 15th December 2025
Subsequent to earlier article about VP5, the expected duration of the outage pushed out by more than a month.
AEMO notes ‘New Victorian system normal constraint to manage contingency size on north-west Victoria’
The AEMO notifies that the new 'V_NWVIC_GFT1_750' constraint equation will first be invoked from 10L00 on Tuesday 9th September 2025.
Vales Point unit 5 (partly unplanned) outage – return to service currently expected 9th November 2025
On Tuesday 26th August 2025 the VP5 unit came offline, with rebid reasons suggesting that ‘turbine vibrations’ were a factor. We take a look ~10 days later.
AEMC releases July 2024 working paper ‘Addressing the risk of algorithmic collusion’
Today we were alerted that the AEMC had belatedly published this 15-page Staff Working Paper titled ‘Addressing the risk of algorithmic collusion’.
AEMO initiates new operational requirements in SA (1 synchronous unit, in certain circumstances) and NSW (system strength)
Worth a short note today (Wednesday 3rd September 2025) to record AEMO’s Market Notice 128912 published at 16:10
(Two not one!) more media article (and 5, not 4, analysts) questioning Eraring’s mooted closure in 2027 … and same for other coal units
It was no surprise at all to open the AFR and see 4 different analysts quoted in voicing their concerns about the unrealistic notion that Eraring can close in 2027 ... or perhaps even...