[POSTED AT ~13:00] On Sat 11th Sept 2021, the ‘Grid Demand’ in the NSW region has dropped to levels not seen for many, many years … especially when considering it is in the middle of the day!
Guest author, Allan O’Neil, takes an initial look at some of the highlights included in the AEMO’s Electricity Statement of Opportunities for 2021 (a 10-year forecast for what might unfold in the future of the NEM).
Sunday 15th August saw lowest level of Operational Demand in the NEM for a winter period, NEM-wide. This also led to a number of other outcomes (including higher renewable penetration, negative prices, … and chatter on social media).
A different type of market notice today (speaking of potential curtailment of embedded generation in South Australia) points to the future … accelerated by Heywood repairs in this instance.
Today (Sunday 14th February 2021) ‘Scheduled Demand’ dropped down again in South Australia – almost setting a new record for ‘lowest point since the start of the NEM (excl System Black)’
The prior record for ‘minimum demand’ in Victoria seems to have only lasted 8 short weeks, with the level nudged still lower on a sunny Sunday 1st November 2020 (coincident with a bit more freedom for Victorians after lockdown).
On Thursday 22nd October, the AEMO also released a short document titled ‘Operational management of low demand in South Australia’.
Records continue to tumble in the off-season, with the rise of rooftop PV. Both South Australia and Whole-of-NEM hit new low points Sun 11th October 2020.
A month on from the prior low point seen for Scheduled Demand (and Operational Demand) across Queensland in the middle of the day, the low point mark is driven lower still on Sunday 27th September 2020.
Hot on the heels of a new record low point for Scheduled Demand (a week ago) in VIC, today sees Scheduled Demand in SA plunge to 315MW in the 11:50 dispatch interval on Sunday 13th September 2020.
Prompted, in part, by yesterday’s record low for Victorian demand, today I have finished off my earlier review of what happened on Saturday 29th August (8 days earlier) when demand levels also dropped in VIC, and right across the NEM.
Within the same 24 hour period as California again feels the stresses of its own extremes, we see that Victoria experiences the other side of this energy transition challenge, with a new record low for Scheduled Demand set for *any* time of the day…. in the middle of the afternoon!
Out of curiosity, and driven by questions received from several people, I’ve invested a bit of time today to delve further into the record low level of Scheduled Demand seen in the Victorian region (and perhaps also across the whole of the NEM) on Saturday 29th August 2020.
Have not checked thoroughly, but a quick scan suggests that the low point for Victorian Scheduled Demand at 13:05 today was a new record for minimum (daytime) demand. If it is, this would be an uncanny coincidence given …
Tis the season for records, it seems, with Queensland seeing a very low level of Scheduled Demand during the day today – Sunday 23rd August 2020.
Four weeks ago, we observed a significant discrepancy between AEMO’s forecast for (what would have been) a record low point for Scheduled Demand in South Australia and what actually eventuated. We’ve now had time to explore further…
Lowest point seen today since the start of the NEM (excluding the SA System Black) for the South Australian region.
An email alert from NEMwatch (noting Scheduled Demand under 500MW in South Australia today) distracts us, and prompts us to dig a little deeper at the longer-term trend.
A question, about why Victorian electricity demand seems to be trending lower and lower…