The WEM region WA1 experienced a moderate price spike to $252.50/MWh during the 02:50 UTC interval on 24 July 2026, representing a sharp increase from the preceding $235.09/MWh levels. The spike was isolated to a single trading interval before prices stabilised.
The price elevation was driven by binding constraints on raise regulation services, with constraint F_T+RREG_0050 exhibiting the highest marginal value at $3.67/MWh, alongside additional binding constraints on lower regulation (F_TASCAP_LREG_0210 at $3.23/MWh) and raise regulation capacity (F_TASCAP_RREG_0220 at $2.50/MWh). The generation mix at the time showed substantial wind and battery output (approximately 1,630 MW combined) offsetting thermal generation, which may have contributed to tighter regulation requirements in managing system frequency stability during the interval.
Causal analysis generated by gridIQ's synthesis model from live AEMO market data: dispatch prices, generation mix, interconnector flows and market notices in the interval surrounding the event.