As One Nation promises to scrap major grid upgrades and turn the energy policy dial back to baseload power from old and new coal plants, the energy market operator has reported new record lows in electricity demand it says reinforce the need for the exact opposite: more flexibility, storage and transmission.
The first record comes from Australia’s most renewable-powered state, South Australia, where the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) says rooftop solar met 99.9 per cent of total electricity demand on Sunday August 30, slashing demand from grid-scale generation to just 2 megawatts (MW) at 1:30pm (AEST) – a new winter record.
On the broader National Electricity Market (NEM), AEMO says mild temperatures and clear skies across the south-east of the country sent winter minimum operational demand down to 11,992 MW, also at 1:30pm, undercutting the previous winter low of 12,144 MW, set in August 2024.
“High rooftop solar generation and negative wholesale prices also saw batteries charging at above-average rates, absorbing excess renewable electricity for use during the evening peak period,” AEMO said on LinkedIn on Monday.
Image source: AEMO, LinkedIn
