Load Advisor: Monday 29 June 2026

Spot prices at 06:25 AEST sit at $105/MWh in NSW, $111/MWh in VIC, $127/MWh in SA, $90/MWh in QLD, and $25/MWh in TAS — with VIC and SA facing materially elevated overnight exposure, predispatch showing VIC prices above $240/MWh around 11:00–12:00 AEST and SA reaching $227/MWh in the same window before both regions drop sharply through the afternoon. QLD is comparatively stable overnight at $69–73/MWh before climbing above $130/MWh at the 19:30 AEST morning peak. NSW peaks around $135/MWh at 19:30 AEST before easing progressively through the day. Flexible load operators in all regions should treat the 06:00–16:00 AEST window as the period to avoid in VIC and SA, and the 14:30–20:30 AEST shoulder-to-peak band as the primary avoidance zone in QLD and NSW.

The standout opportunity across the NEM today is VIC between 03:00–04:00 AEST (18:00–19:00 UTC), where predispatch prices will fall to $11–12/MWh — a saving of $232/MWh versus the overnight peak. SA is similarly compelling: prices will drop to under $5/MWh at 03:30–04:30 AEST (17:30–18:30 UTC), though that window carries high risk given the sharp transition from $200+/MWh overnight levels and the potential for rapid price reversals as the morning demand ramp begins. The low-risk SA windows are 23:30–00:30 AEST ($24/MWh, saving $204/MWh) and 01:00–02:00 AEST ($24/MWh). TAS offers the most consistent value on the board: prices will hold at $24–25/MWh continuously from 22:30 AEST through to at least 04:00 AEST the following morning, with low execution risk throughout that entire six-hour band. NSW's best window is 02:00–03:00 AEST at $71/MWh, saving $64/MWh versus peak, with a secondary opportunity at 01:00–02:00 AEST at $74/MWh.

For QLD, the optimal shift window is 15:30–17:30 AEST at $56–63/MWh — the best saving in that region at $71/MWh below the morning peak — and the early overnight band from 10:00–13:00 AEST at $69–70/MWh also offers consistent, low-risk scheduling. QLD operators should note that the entire 04:00–20:00 AEST window carries prices above $95/MWh, so any load deferral from the overnight period into the pre-dawn hours between 10:00–13:00 AEST captures the most accessible savings without the execution complexity of the sub-$15/MWh VIC and SA windows.

Concrete scheduling recommendation: prioritise TAS load activation now through 14:00 AEST at $25/MWh with minimal risk; shift VIC flexible load into the 03:00–04:30 AEST window