Load Advisor: Saturday 16 May 2026

Queensland is the standout opportunity right now: prices are sitting at $91.60/MWh at the current settlement and will fall sharply tonight, with predispatch showing intervals dropping to negative territory (as low as -$2.02/MWh) between 08:00–09:30 AEST and holding sub-$25/MWh across the midnight-to-04:00 AEST window. Flexible loads in QLD1 should target the 08:00–14:30 AEST block today as the primary shifting window — prices are forecast in the $2–$24/MWh range for much of that period, representing savings of $550–$578/MWh against the reference price. The 07:30–08:30 AEST window around the $39–$52/MWh bracket also offers value before the morning ramp begins.

NSW1 presents a solid secondary window. Prices currently sit at $98.14/MWh and predispatch shows a clear trough from 08:00 through to 13:00 AEST, with intervals forecast at $70–$79/MWh. The deepest NSW savings will arrive around 08:30–10:30 AEST when several intervals print at $66–$70/MWh. Loads that can be deferred from the current 19:00–21:00 AEST shoulder into the post-midnight window will capture $28–$32/MWh in price differential, with further gains possible if load is held until the 08:00–10:00 AEST trough.

SA1 and VIC1 are less attractive for shifting today. SA1 prices are elevated at $168.88/MWh now and predispatch keeps them above $100/MWh through much of the night, with a relative low of $57–$69/MWh appearing only in isolated intervals around 09:00–10:00 AEST — worth targeting if load flexibility exists, but the sustained low-price window is narrower than in QLD and NSW. VIC1 sits at $157.23/MWh currently and predispatch shows prices remaining in the $100–$153/MWh range through the evening, with the best available windows around 09:00–11:00 AEST when some intervals dip toward $103–$110/MWh. TAS1 at $112.24/MWh is broadly flat through the forecast horizon at $110–$112/MWh with limited shifting upside. The concrete recommendation: QLD1 operators should schedule all deferrable load — pumping, refrigeration, processing — to run between 08:00 and 14:00 AEST today; NSW1 operators should target the 08:00–11:00 AEST window; SA1 and VIC1 loads should be deferred from the current evening peak if possible but opportunities are materially smaller.