Load Advisor: Wednesday 3 June 2026
SA prices are the standout signal this morning: the region is currently clearing at -$1/MWh and predispatch shows negative-to-low prices persisting through until approximately 15:30 AEST, with some intervals dipping below -$13/MWh between 09:00 and 10:00 AEST. Any flexible load in SA with network access should be running continuously through this window. VIC1 is clearing at $36.66/MWh now but will fall sharply — predispatch shows prices in the $10–$22/MWh range from 10:00 AEST through to approximately 16:00 AEST, with the 11:00–14:30 AEST window particularly attractive at $10–$11/MWh. NSW1 sits at $71.40/MWh currently but predispatch sees it drop to the $12–$24/MWh band from 10:00 AEST through mid-afternoon, with the deepest troughs around 11:00–12:30 AEST at under $12/MWh. QLD1 at $78.52/MWh now will ease toward the $6–$11/MWh range from 10:00 AEST through 15:00 AEST, with several intervals near or below zero around 11:00–13:30 AEST.
TAS1 is the exception: prices sit at $87.22/MWh and predispatch holds them in the $80–$87/MWh band across the entire visible horizon. Tasmanian operators should avoid adding flexible load at any point today and consider deferring discretionary consumption to the weekend where possible. WA1 (SWIS, not NEM-connected) is showing $131/MWh and sits outside NEM load-shifting strategy entirely.
The primary peak to avoid across all NEM regions is the morning demand ramp — prices in QLD1 and NSW1 are forecast to climb back above $35–$40/MWh from approximately 16:30–17:00 AEST as the afternoon shoulder builds into the winter evening peak. Predispatch in NSW1 shows prices returning to the low-to-mid $40s/MWh from 16:30 AEST onward. QLD1 similarly lifts back toward $40/MWh from 16:30 AEST. Evening demand will be underpinned by heating load given temperatures in the 10–13°C range across VIC, NSW, and TAS with 95% cloud cover over Victoria today suppressing any solar contribution.
Concrete recommendation: schedule all deferrable industrial, HVAC pre-conditioning, and battery charging loads to execute between 10:00 and 15:00 AEST, prioritising SA and VIC for maximum saving. SA loads can start immediately given current negative pricing. NSW and QLD flexible loads should target the 11:00–14:30 AEST window for deepest discounts, then curtail ahead of the 16:30 AEST price recovery. TAS operators have no viable shift window today and should hold load as low as operationally practical through the entire day.