Load Advisor: Sunday 24 May 2026

NEM-wide spot prices are elevated across all mainland regions this morning, with QLD1 the dearest at $106.75/MWh, NSW1 at $101.02/MWh, TAS1 at $103.20/MWh, VIC1 at $88.97/MWh, and SA1 the cheapest of the five at $76.48/MWh. Predispatch forecasts show a sharp and consistent price collapse beginning from approximately 08:30 AEST (23:00 UTC) and holding through to around 14:30 AEST (04:30 UTC), with NSW1 prices falling to a floor near $79/MWh and regularly touching $52–$65/MWh through the 10:00–13:30 AEST window. VIC1 and SA1 follow a similar overnight trajectory, with SA1 predispatch touching $33–$38/MWh during the 13:00–14:30 AEST window — the single deepest trough across the entire NEM today. QLD1 overnight prices are forecast to bottom out in the $39–$50/MWh range between 11:00 and 13:30 AEST. TAS1 is structurally different: prices remain anchored near $103–$104/MWh throughout the forecast horizon with no meaningful overnight relief, making Tasmania the region with the weakest load-shifting case today.

The clearest savings opportunity is in SA1, where predispatch prices between 13:00 and 14:30 AEST fall to as low as $33–$38/MWh against a current spot of $76.48/MWh — a saving of over $260/MWh on a per-interval basis. NSW1 offers an extended low-price corridor from 09:00 through 13:30 AEST with prices in the $52–$65/MWh range, representing savings of $240–$258/MWh versus current spot. VIC1's deepest trough also aligns with the 13:00–14:30 AEST window, with predispatch prices touching $37–$40/MWh. QLD1 offers its best window between 11:00 and 13:30 AEST at $39–$50/MWh. The morning peak risk for all regions will arrive from approximately 15:30–16:30 AEST, when predispatch prices in NSW1 and QLD1 are forecast to climb back above $82–$94/MWh and the day's heating-driven demand lift takes hold — temperatures in NSW, VIC, and SA are sitting at 11–15°C with overcast skies and moderate heating demand already present.

The concrete recommendation: schedule flexible loads — EV charging, battery charging cycles, hot water systems, industrial processes, and demand response assets — into the 10:30–14:30 AEST window across all NEM regions except Tasmania. SA1 operators should target the 13:00–14:30 AEST window specifically, where the deepest discounts are forecast. NSW1 and VIC1 loads can begin shifting from 09:00 AEST, with the trough sustaining well through to 13:30 AEST. QLD1 operators should concentrate flexible load between 11:00 and 13:30 AEST. For any load that can be deferred until after 14