Load Advisor: Saturday 23 May 2026

Predispatch forecasts show the strongest NEM-wide load shifting opportunity is concentrated in the early morning hours, with Queensland delivering the deepest discounts of any region today. QLD1 prices are currently forecast to touch near-zero and negative territory between 07:30–09:30 AEST (21:30–01:00 UTC), with the best windows printing at -$1.50/MWh and as low as $0.01/MWh — representing savings of over $200/MWh against reference pricing. NSW1 will offer its lowest prices in the 07:30–10:30 AEST band, with predispatch pointing to $23.88–$40.55/MWh, down sharply from the current $76.94/MWh. VIC1 follows a similar overnight pattern, with the 07:30–10:00 AEST window forecast at $22.53–$33.89/MWh against a current RRP of $67.47/MWh. SA1 mirrors the mainland trough, forecasting $22.39–$25.40/MWh from approximately 07:30–10:30 AEST with savings rated "excellent" across the full period.

The priority window for flexible load dispatch across NSW1, VIC1, QLD1, and SA1 is 07:30 to 10:30 AEST. Within that block, the deepest prices are expected around 08:30–09:30 AEST — price forecasts cluster in the low-to-mid $20s/MWh for NSW1 and VIC1, and the sub-$5/MWh range for QLD1. SA1 forecasts $14.47/MWh at the trough around 09:00 AEST. Operators with flexibility spanning multiple dispatch intervals should target the full 07:30–10:30 window to maximise capture; shorter-cycle loads should aim squarely at the 08:30–09:30 AEST half-hours.

Tasmania is the exception: TAS1 prices sit at $97.04/MWh now and predispatch holds them in the $97–$103/MWh band throughout the forecast horizon, with no material trough. Tasmanians with flexible load should defer discretionary consumption as much as operationally possible or explore whether Basslink economics support mainland-linked scheduling. WA1 (SWIS, not NEM-interconnected) sits at $101.18/MWh and operates under a separate dispatch regime — load shifting there requires reference to AEMO SWIS predispatch independently.

Prices will rise again from approximately 16:00 AEST as evening demand builds. NSW1 and VIC1 forecasts are already showing a step up toward $70–$79/MWh at the 14:00–16:30 UTC mark (00:00–02:30 AEST), confirming the classic winter evening ramp. Any loads that can be pre-positioned or charged up during the morning trough should be locked in before 10:30 AEST — do not carry optionality past that window expecting further price falls during the afternoon.