New low mark for production from brown coal on Saturday 28th August 2021
Following comments on social media over the weekend about a new low point for brown coal generation, I took a quick look.
Victoria
Victoria’s new ‘Big Battery’ on fire (part 1)!
Here’s first data about Victoria’s Big Battery … which is on fire on Friday afternoon 30th July 2021 (literally!).
Looking back at a Q2 2021 period that’s been anything but boring
Now making it 5 out of the past 6 years, we return to the analysis of electricity (spot and futures) pricing patterns for Q2 periods across the NEM regions … and also in Western Australia. We see a number of ways in which Q2 2021 was ‘anything but boring’!
Newport Power Station cranked up heavily – as one commercial response to the Yallourn ‘Energy Emergency’
A series of questions about what’s happening at Newport Power Station prompted me to have a quick look…
Evening volatility on Tuesday 15th June 2021
It was volatile this morning well past that’s become ‘normal’ and the volatility has returned (as I expected it would) this evening. Here’s the snapshot of the 17:20 dispatch interval from one of our NEMwatch v10 dashboards: As highlighted: 1) …
EnergyAustralia notes ‘further instability in the Morwell River Diversion wall’ – with respect to Yallourn mine
A media release by EnergyAustralia this afternoon (Tue 15th June) about Yallourn mine flooding prompts an updated look on Wattclarity…
Yallourn unit 3 re-joins Yallourn unit 1 back online
A short note on Tuesday morning to highlight that YWPS3 has re-joined YWPS1 back online.
Yallourn down to 1 unit, on low load operation – following flood risks at the adjoining mine
A Saturday morning review of the situation in Victoria, with supplies from Yallourn restricted due to flooding in the Latrobe Valley … coincident with other factors
Spot market volatility report – Thursday 3rd June 2021 (as at 17:54)
Evening spot price volatility has become a regular thing – here’s some of it for Thursday 3rd June 2021
Prices skyrocket across all 4 mainland regions on Wednesday 12th May
Spot prices spiked across mainland regions this evening – firstly at 17:55 (above $1,000/MWh). and then at 18:00 (up towards $15,000/MWh). Here’s a first look.
$15,000/MWh in South Australia on Friday 12th March 2021 … part 3 (quick thought to the future)
A shorter article – thinking more about the future, prompted by one of the factors that contributed to the price volatility seen in South Australia on Friday 12th March 2021
The accelerating rise of Negative Prices in the NEM
A longer-term trend of the incidence of negative prices across each region of the NEM … and, most interestingly, the pattern by time of day.
Victoria’s snap lockdown drops demand forecast by ~1000MW
In the middle of the day today (Fri 12th Feb) VIC Premier Dan Andrews announced a snap lockdown – here’s a quick look at how this was (quickly) added into the ST PASA Operational Demand forecast.
Average spot prices through 2020 down at levels not seen for many years
Several conversations this week prompted me to update the long-term view of how spot prices have trended over time (in particular because average prices in 2020 were quite different than recent years).
Heavy rain across Victoria squashes Small and Large Solar on Friday 29th January 2021
Short article today observing higher Scheduled Demand in VIC – which appears to be in large part due to state-wide suppression of solar PV production with heavy cloud and rainfall.
Cool change arrives in Melbourne early on Monday 25th January 2021, dampening high demand expectations
Forecasts was that it would be hot across Victoria, and demand would be high, through Monday 25th January 2021. But the cool change arrived early.
High temperatures, and high demand, forecast for Monday 25th January 2021
Following several different warnings of high temperatures forecast for the lead-in to Tuesday 26th January 2021 (whatever you want to call that day) I’ve taken a quick look at what it’s currently forecast to mean for the NEM…
Bottom falls out of electricity demand in VIC on Christmas Day 2020
Short note about what might be a new record low point for electricity demand in Victoria on Christmas Day 2020.
Low point for demand in Victoria drops still lower on Sunday 1st November 2020
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).
Scheduled Demand in VIC drops to record low on Sunday 6th September 2020
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!