Load Advisor: Monday 14 September 2026
NEM-wide, the deepest overnight trough sits between 10:00-16:00 AEST (00:00-06:00 UTC), with all five mainland regions and TAS1 posting negative pricing. VIC1 and SA1 offer the strongest shifting opportunity today, with forecast prices reaching -$50/MWh between roughly 12:00-14:00 AEST, delivering savings of up to $143-146/MWh versus this morning's peak. NSW1, QLD1, and TAS1 troughs are shallower but still solidly negative, in the -$8 to -$50/MWh range across the same window, all carrying zero carbon intensity in the forecast.
Peak periods to avoid fall in two bands: the early morning shoulder (currently, ~06:30-08:00 AEST) where prices are still elevated at $68-91/MWh across regions as overnight demand tapers into the solar ramp, and the daytime peak building from 22:00-23:00 AEST (12:30-13:00 UTC) onward. NSW1 forecast RRP climbs to $102.97/MWh by 23:00 AEST, VIC1 to $95.59/MWh, SA1 to $101.02/MWh (with a secondary spike to the same level around 21:00 AEST), and QLD1 holds near $88-96/MWh through the early afternoon into evening. TAS1's peak is comparatively muted at $88.22/MWh around 23:00 AEST, reflecting its smaller demand base and hydro flexibility.
SA1 stands out for the widest spread today — troughing near -$51/MWh mid-morning before swinging over 190 $/MWh higher into the 23:00 AEST peak. VIC1 shows a similarly wide range, with five consecutive negative windows between 12:00-16:00 AEST offering consistent low-cost blocks for extended load shifts. QLD1 and NSW1 troughs are less extreme but still support solid savings of $105-116/MWh versus peak, useful for regions without deep negative pricing.
Recommendation: schedule flexible load — EV charging, batch industrial processes, water heating, battery charging — into the 10:00-16:00 AEST window today, prioritising VIC1 and SA1 for maximum value given their deeper troughs. Avoid dispatch during 06:30-08:00 AEST and again from 21:00 AEST through to at least 23:30 AEST when regional peaks converge. Batteries and demand response assets should target charging completion by 09:30 AEST to avoid the morning price ramp, and reserve discharge for the 12:00-13:30 AEST peak window where SA1 and NSW1 prices exceed $95-103/MWh.