The WEM experienced a moderate price spike in WA1 on 30 June 2026, with the regional reference price jumping to $250.39/MWh during the 16:25 trading interval, up sharply from $106.35/MWh just 25 minutes earlier. Prices remained elevated above $242/MWh across the five intervals from 16:10 to 16:25, suggesting a sustained supply-demand imbalance.
The price escalation appears driven by binding constraints on the network, with constraint F_T+RREG_0050 showing the highest marginal value of $4.54/MWh, indicating tight operational limits were restricting available generation dispatch. The generation mix at the time comprised approximately 3,645 MW of supply dominated by wind (860 MW combined), black coal (874 MW), and gas generation (1,085 MW combined), suggesting that network congestion rather than absolute generation scarcity was the limiting factor in the sharp price movement.
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.