Load Advisor: Friday 10 April 2026
Negative prices are the dominant story across NSW, VIC, QLD, and SA this morning, with predispatch forecasts showing sustained sub-zero prices from 08:00 AEST through to at least 17:30 AEST. The deepest discounts are concentrated in the 12:00–14:30 AEST window, where NSW prices are forecast as low as -$35.95/MWh, VIC touching -$68.41/MWh, SA reaching -$69.73/MWh, and QLD hitting -$38.48/MWh. VIC and SA are the standout opportunities, with prices persistently below -$50/MWh across multiple half-hours during the midday period. QLD prices are negative from 08:00 AEST but will turn positive around 16:00 AEST, so that region's window is narrower and carries a harder cut-off. TAS remains priced above $20/MWh throughout the forecast horizon and offers no load-shifting benefit today — defer any discretionary TAS loads or shift them toward the earlier part of the day when prices sit in the low-$20/MWh range (around 13:00–14:30 AEST).
The primary avoidance window is QLD from 16:30 AEST onward, where predispatch shows prices returning to $40–$53/MWh as the solar contribution fades and evening demand builds. NSW and VIC prices are also expected to firm from around 17:00 AEST, with NSW forecast near $38–$57/MWh into the evening. SA prices remain negative through most of the afternoon but will trend back toward positive territory after 16:30 AEST. Operators with flexible loads spanning multiple regions should aim to complete any shiftable consumption before 16:00 AEST to capture the bulk of the negative-price period.
The concrete recommendation: schedule all deferrable load — EV charging, water heating, industrial processes, refrigeration pre-cooling, and battery charging — in VIC and SA between 12:00 and 14:30 AEST, where prices are forecast deepest. NSW loads should be shifted into the 11:00–14:00 AEST band. QLD flexible loads should run from 08:00 to 15:30 AEST and be curtailed before 16:00. Any load that can tolerate a two-hour window should target 13:00–14:00 AEST NEM-wide, which represents the overlap of maximum negative pricing across NSW, VIC, SA, and QLD simultaneously. WA (SWIS) operates outside the NEM and its most recent data point is stale; no intraday advisory applies.