Load Advisor: Friday 29 May 2026
The deepest opportunity across the NEM today sits in the 09:30–15:30 AEST window in NSW, VIC, and SA, where predispatch prices are forecast to fall to near-zero and frequently negative — ranging from -$11.83/MWh to -$2.50/MWh — as Saturday low demand intersects with daytime generation. QLD shows the strongest sustained negative prices of any region, with intervals down to -$35/MWh forecast between 13:30 and 14:30 AEST, and prices remaining negative from approximately 10:00 through to 16:30 AEST. SA similarly offers negative prices from around 11:30 AEST through to 16:30 AEST, with several intervals below -$10/MWh. These are the primary windows for flexible load scheduling today.
Current spot prices show a stark contrast to the overnight opportunity: NSW sits at $38.51/MWh, QLD at $92.56/MWh, and TAS at $90.94/MWh — all well above the negative and near-zero levels forecast for midday. VIC at $10.72/MWh and SA at $18.86/MWh are already the softest markets, consistent with the overnight period. WA (SWIS) is at $95.74/MWh and sits outside the NEM predispatch framework, so no intraday optimisation applies there from this data. Tasmania's predispatch shows prices holding in the $75–$89/MWh range throughout the day — no meaningful load-shifting window exists there today; flexible Tasmanian loads should avoid all periods equally.
The primary avoidance window is the 06:30–09:00 AEST period across all mainland regions, where prices are forecast to recover toward $19–$40/MWh as morning demand builds. QLD in particular is forecast to spike back above $40/MWh by 16:30 AEST as the afternoon peak arrives, so QLD operators should ensure any shifted load completes before 16:00 AEST. NSW prices will step up from near-zero around 16:00–16:30 AEST as the evening ramp begins, and VIC follows a similar pattern with prices recovering toward $10–$19/MWh from approximately 16:30 AEST onward.
Concrete recommendation: schedule all deferrable loads — cold storage cycling, EV fleet charging, water heating, irrigation pumping, and industrial batch processes — to run between 10:00 and 15:30 AEST across NSW, VIC, SA, and QLD. QLD offers the single best price extreme today, with the 13:30–14:30 AEST band worth prioritising for any interruptible process that can be concentrated into a one-hour window. SA's negative price band from 11:30 AEST is the second-best opportunity. NSW and VIC offer consistent sub-$1/MWh pricing from roughly 11:30 through 15:30 AEST, making them reliable targets for sustained flexible load over several hours. Tasmania presents no viable shift window today and loads there should be managed on operational needs rather than price signal.