Load Advisor: Sunday 21 June 2026

Across the NEM, the most favourable load-shifting windows are concentrated in the early hours of Monday 22 June (AEST: 11:00–16:00 UTC maps to the overnight-to-dawn band). SA is the standout opportunity: prices currently sit at $2,061/MWh — the highest on the NEM — but predispatch forecasts show a sharp collapse to the $138–$184/MWh range from 11:30 AEST onwards, with the cheapest window between 13:30–16:30 AEST at $138/MWh. SA operators carrying any deferrable load should target that afternoon trough aggressively; the saving versus the current dispatch price exceeds $1,900/MWh. VIC is also elevated right now at $146/MWh with predispatch showing a sustained spike above $500/MWh through 08:00–12:00 AEST before retreating to the $88–$107/MWh range from 13:00 AEST onward; shift VIC load away from the 07:30–12:30 AEST window entirely. NSW presents the clearest overnight trough: prices will fall to $70–$77/MWh between 11:00–16:00 AEST (01:00–06:00 UTC) before a sharp morning ramp to $290–$600/MWh from 16:30–21:00 AEST. Any NSW flexible load that can be pre-positioned before 16:30 AEST captures savings of over $500/MWh versus that morning peak.

QLD is the lowest-cost region across the board today. Prices are currently $107/MWh and will fall to a trough of $42–$55/MWh between 15:30–16:30 AEST (05:30–06:30 UTC), rising only moderately to $130–$163/MWh through the business day — a comparatively mild price profile versus the southern states. QLD operators with interruptible loads have the most flexibility; the entire 11:00–16:00 AEST band offers sub-$70/MWh pricing. TAS prices are currently the lowest on the NEM at $79/MWh and will remain in the $82–$107/MWh range through to 16:00 AEST before retreating even further to $66–$70/MWh from 23:00 AEST. The exception is an overnight spike already visible in current predispatch — TAS saw prices above $500/MWh in the 08:00–09:30 AEST (prior overnight) window — so operators should note that TAS is not immune to bass-strait-constrained volatility. The afternoon and evening windows from 23:00 AEST are TAS's strongest shift opportunity, with savings above $530/MWh versus the prior overnight peak.

The concrete recommendation: schedule all deferrable NEM load into the 11:00–16:00 AEST window (01:00–06:00 UTC) on Monday 22 June. NSW, QLD, and TAS all offer sub-$100/MWh pricing in this band. SA and VIC are still above $138/MWh overnight but represent the best available alternative to the extreme daytime peaks those regions will see from 07:30 AEST. For SA and VIC specifically, operators who cannot shift into the