Load Advisor: Sunday 17 May 2026

NEM-wide spot prices are running in the range of $155–$245/MWh at 07:30 AEST, with Tasmania the clear standout at $155/MWh and WA at $119/MWh. QLD sits highest among the eastern states at $240/MWh, with NSW ($245/MWh), SA ($232/MWh), and VIC ($227/MWh) all elevated but below their overnight peaks. Demand is moderate across the board — NSW leads at 7,619 MW, QLD at 6,572 MW, VIC at 5,266 MW, SA at 1,366 MW, and TAS at 1,155 MW.

The strongest load-shifting opportunity today is the overnight trough running from approximately 08:30–11:30 AEST (21:30–00:30 UTC), most pronounced in QLD where predispatch prices will drop to the $90–$160/MWh range. NSW will see prices ease to $138–$165/MWh across the same period, and TAS will trade in the $110–$165/MWh band through much of the night. SA is forecast to fall to $103–$139/MWh between roughly 09:00–11:00 AEST, representing its best window of the day. VIC's overnight trough is shallower, with prices bottoming around $147–$165/MWh around 10:30–11:00 AEST, reflecting tighter interconnector conditions. Operators with flexible loads in QLD and SA will find the deepest absolute savings in that 09:00–11:30 AEST band.

The morning peak demand period — broadly 15:30–20:00 AEST — will be the window to avoid across all mainland regions. NSW and VIC predispatch forecasts show prices escalating toward $300–$380/MWh from around 15:30 AEST, with QLD tracking above $340/MWh through the same period and spiking above $440/MWh in some intervals from 16:00 AEST onward. SA follows a similar shape, with prices recovering into the $225–$280/MWh range through the afternoon. TAS shows more moderate evening pricing, generally holding $160–$280/MWh, but interconnector dependency on VIC introduces volatility risk as VIC prices escalate.

**Recommendation:** Schedule flexible loads — process heating, refrigeration cycling, EV fleet charging, pumping — to run between **08:30 and 11:30 AEST** for the best NEM-wide savings. QLD and SA operators should prioritise the **09:00–11:00 AEST** window where prices are forecast sub-$140/MWh. NSW and TAS flexible loads are best placed in the **09:30–11:00 AEST** slot at $138–$165/MWh. Avoid all morning peak exposure from 15:30 AEST; if loads cannot be deferred that far, a secondary lower-cost window may appear briefly around **13:00–14:00 AEST** in QLD and SA as prices soften before the afternoon ramp. WA operates outside the NEM dispatch mechanism; at $119/MWh current pricing, SWIS flexible loads face no equivalent peak pressure today and can run broadly through the business day.