Load Advisor: Sunday 12 July 2026
A NEM-wide overnight trough dominates today's load-shifting opportunity, with QLD1 offering the deepest discount: predispatch prices sit at -$7.03/MWh between 04:00-05:00 AEST (14:00-15:00 UTC), a saving of $111/MWh versus this afternoon's peak. NSW1, VIC1 and SA1 all show coincident negative-to-near-zero pricing across the same 00:00-06:00 AEST window, meaning flexible load shifted into early morning hours captures savings simultaneously across four regions. TAS1's savings are comparatively marginal (up to $6/MWh) given its already-low peak-to-trough spread, so shifting priority there is low.
The optimal shifting window across NSW1, QLD1, SA1 and VIC1 is 00:00-06:00 AEST, with the tightest cluster of near-zero or negative prices concentrated between 02:00-05:00 AEST. QLD1 will hold negative pricing continuously from 00:30 through to 05:30 AEST, the widest and cheapest trough of any region today, driven by low overnight demand and minimal renewable output offsetting a soft demand base (QLD1's own generation mix shows no solar contribution overnight, as expected). NSW1 shows a brief price spike to $25/MWh around 01:30-02:00 AEST before dropping again to -$2/MWh by 02:30 AEST, so operators shifting load in NSW1 should target 02:30-03:00 AEST or 04:00-04:30 AEST specifically to avoid that intermediate bump.
Peak periods to avoid today are 07:00-11:00 AEST and again 16:30-18:00 AEST across the eastern regions. QLD1 predispatch shows prices climbing to $93-104/MWh through the 08:00-10:00 AEST morning ramp as overnight troughs close out and heating demand persists (current QLD1 temperature is 10.8°C with zero cloud cover, supporting strong solar potential later in the day that will help ease the afternoon shoulder). NSW1 mirrors this with a $90-101/MWh morning peak around 09:00-10:30 AEST. VIC1 and SA1 remain comparatively mild through the day, with VIC1 forecast prices staying under $38/MWh even during peak hours, reflecting stronger wind potential (SA1 currently reporting 21.