Load Advisor

The best load-shifting opportunity across the NEM today sits in Victoria, where predispatch prices are forecast to dip to $79.09/MWh during the 8:30 AEST window — a saving of $52.47/MWh against the current spot of $124.33/MWh. South Australia offers the standout savings magnitude, with windows forecast at $85.99/MWh (saving ~$65/MWh against the current $138/MWh spot) around the same morning period. Queensland's best window arrives around 8:00–8:30 AEST with prices forecast at $84.71–$85.83/MWh, representing savings of ~$48–$49/MWh against the current $99/MWh spot. NSW is flatter, with the best available window at $93.12/MWh saving roughly $42/MWh against the current $104.89/MWh. Tasmania forecasts remain elevated across all windows at $106–$107/MWh, limiting shift value there despite the "good" quality ratings driven by the large absolute gap versus contracted rates.

The priority recommendation is to concentrate flexible load in SA and VIC between 7:00 and 9:00 AEST today. SA operators with deferrable industrial or commercial loads should target the 8:30 AEST half-hour interval where the $85.99/MWh forecast represents the deepest discount available across the entire NEM today. VIC flexible consumers should target the 8:30 AEST window at $79.09/MWh as the single best price point across all eastern regions. QLD operators should schedule between 8:00–8:30 AEST to capture the sub-$86/MWh window before prices firm. NSW offers only fair-quality windows throughout the day with limited spread, so load shifting there is lower priority unless volumes are large enough to make the ~$30–$42/MWh saving material.

Periods to avoid scheduling load are the current window (SA at $138/MWh, VIC at $124/MWh) and any intervals from approximately 11:00 AEST onward where predispatch forecasts across all regions revert toward or above current spot levels. The predispatch data shows prices consolidating back to the $100–$110/MWh range through the afternoon across NSW, VIC, and SA, so the morning window is the clear action point. Grid engineers should note that the window data timestamps are clustered at UTC 21:00–22:00 (AEST 7:00–8:00), confirming the shift opportunity is imminent and actionable now.