# gridIQ — Full Reference > This file exists for AI answer engines and agents that need extractable, self-contained facts about gridIQ and the Australian electricity market, rather than just links. See /llms.txt for a link-only index of the site. ## What gridIQ is gridIQ (gridiq.com.au) is a real-time Australian energy market intelligence platform. It ingests AEMO data for the National Electricity Market (NEM: NSW, VIC, SA, QLD, TAS) and the Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM: Western Australia), plus Open-Meteo weather data and Clean Energy Regulator (CER) certificate and carbon-credit data. It serves commercial energy buyers, sustainability teams, PPA buyers and renewable developers with live dashboards, an embedded AI analyst named Watt, and compliance tooling for Australian climate disclosure (AASB S2, NGER, Safeguard Mechanism). ## Australian electricity market facts - The NEM covers five regions: New South Wales (NSW1), Victoria (VIC1), South Australia (SA1), Queensland (QLD1) and Tasmania (TAS1). AEMO sets a wholesale spot price for each region every 5 minutes (a "dispatch interval"), giving 288 intervals per day. - The WEM covers Western Australia (WA1) only, via the South West Interconnected System (SWIS). It is a separate market from the NEM (no interconnection) and uses 30-minute trading intervals — 48 per day. - The NEM market price cap is $17,500/MWh and the market floor price is -$1,000/MWh (2024-25 settings). The WEM price cap is materially lower, around $324/MWh. - NEM price tiers used across gridIQ: Green <$100/MWh, Amber $100-300/MWh, Red $300-1000/MWh, Extreme >$1000/MWh. - WEM price tiers: Green <$50/MWh, Amber $50-150/MWh, Red $150-250/MWh, Extreme >$250/MWh. - The NEM's five interconnectors are QNI (QLD-NSW), VIC-NSW, Heywood (VIC-SA), Murraylink (VIC-SA, DC) and Basslink (TAS-VIC, HVDC undersea cable). - AEMO's dispatch engine is called NEMDE. It runs every 5 minutes, matching generator bids to forecast demand while respecting network constraints, and the price is set by the most expensive generator needed to meet demand in that interval. - Negative wholesale prices occur when supply exceeds demand and inflexible generators cannot ramp down fast enough — most common in South Australia during high wind and solar output. ## Data gridIQ tracks - Live and historical wholesale spot prices (NEM 5-min, WEM 30-min), back to when each feed began ingestion, retained indefinitely. - Generation mix by fuel type (coal, gas, hydro, wind, solar utility-scale and rooftop, battery) per region. - Grid carbon intensity (tCO2e/MWh), derived from generation mix and published emission factors. - AEMO pre-dispatch price forecasts (1-40 hour horizon, updated every 30 minutes). - FCAS (Frequency Control Ancillary Services) prices — the 8 services that maintain grid frequency at 50 Hz. - Interconnector flows, transfer limits and binding constraints across all 5 NEM interconnectors. - Gas hub prices: STTM (Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane) and DWGM (Victoria), daily. - Renewable Energy Certificate prices: LGC (Large-scale Generation Certificate) and STC (Small-scale Technology Certificate), weekly, from the Clean Energy Regulator. - Carbon credit prices: ACCU (Australian Carbon Credit Unit) and SMC (Safeguard Mechanism Credit) spot prices, quarterly, from the CER Quarterly Carbon Market Report. - Generator outages, bid stacks, rebid detection, marginal loss factors (MLF), constraint-to-DUID mapping, and network outages. - AI-detected NEM/WEM market events: price spikes, negative pricing, record renewables, binding constraints. ## Glossary (44 terms) AEMO — Australian Energy Market Operator: the independent body that operates Australia's largest gas and electricity markets and power systems. AEMO manages the NEM across five eastern states and the WEM in Western Australia, publishing dispatch data, price forecasts and market notices. Ancillary Services — Services that support the operation and security of the power system beyond energy supply. In the NEM, the primary ancillary service is FCAS. Baseload — The minimum level of electricity demand over a given period, typically met by generators that run continuously at steady output. Coal and gas-fired power stations have traditionally provided baseload generation in Australia. Bidding / Rebidding — Generators in the NEM submit price-quantity bids for each dispatch interval, offering to generate at up to 10 price bands. Rebidding allows generators to change the volume offered right up to the dispatch interval. Capacity Factor — The ratio of actual electricity output to maximum possible output over a period, expressed as a percentage. Typical ranges: wind 25-45%, solar 15-28%, coal 60-85%. Carbon Intensity — The amount of CO2 emitted per unit of electricity generated, measured in tCO2/MWh. Grid carbon intensity varies by region and time of day based on the generation mix. Congestion — When power flows on a transmission line reach its thermal or stability limit. Congestion can cause price separation between NEM regions. Constraint — A mathematical equation in AEMO's dispatch engine that limits power flows to keep the system within safe operating limits. Curtailment — The deliberate reduction of a generator's output below what it could produce. Renewable generators are often curtailed when supply exceeds demand. Demand Response — The intentional reduction or shifting of electricity consumption in response to price signals or grid conditions. In the NEM's Wholesale Demand Response Mechanism (WDRM), loads that reduce consumption above $300/MWh can earn wholesale market revenue. Dispatch Engine — AEMO's central optimisation algorithm (called NEMDE) that determines generator dispatch targets and spot prices every five minutes. Dispatch Interval — The five-minute period used in the NEM for pricing and generation dispatch. There are 288 dispatch intervals per day. The WEM uses 30-minute trading intervals instead. DUID — Dispatchable Unit Identifier: a unique code assigned by AEMO to each generating unit or scheduled load in the NEM (e.g. BW01, ARWF1). Emission Factor — The amount of CO2 released per unit of fuel burned to generate electricity, measured in tCO2/MWh. Typical factors: black coal 0.88, brown coal 1.22, gas combined-cycle 0.37, gas open-cycle 0.70, renewables 0. FCAS — Frequency Control Ancillary Services: eight market services procured by AEMO to maintain power system frequency at 50 Hz (Raise/Lower for each of Regulation, 6-second, 60-second and 5-minute). Feed-in Tariff — A rate paid to owners of renewable energy systems (typically rooftop solar) for electricity exported to the grid. Set by retailers or state governments, separate from wholesale spot prices. GHG Protocol — The international standard for measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions. Defines three scopes and two Scope 2 methods: location-based (grid average factors) and market-based (contractual instruments such as retired certificates or PPAs). Interconnector — A high-voltage transmission link between NEM regions that allows electricity to flow across state borders. Major links: Basslink, Heywood, QNI, VNI West. Inverter — A device that converts DC from solar panels or batteries to AC for the grid. Grid-forming inverters can also provide system strength services. Load Shifting — Moving electricity consumption from high-price periods to low-price periods, e.g. running equipment during overnight or midday solar windows. LGC — Large-scale Generation Certificate: a tradeable certificate created when an accredited renewable power station generates one megawatt-hour of eligible renewable electricity. Marginal Loss Factor (MLF) — A multiplier applied to a generator's output to account for electrical losses on the transmission network. An MLF of 0.95 means 5% of generated energy is lost in transmission. Published annually by AEMO. Market Notice — An official AEMO notification of events, conditions or changes: lack of reserve, constraint changes, planned outages, rebid explanations, administered pricing events. Market Price Cap (MPC) — The maximum price that can be set in a NEM dispatch interval: $17,500/MWh (2024-25). The WEM has a separate, lower cap. Nameplate Capacity — The maximum rated output of a generator under standard conditions, measured in MW. Negative Pricing — When the spot price falls below $0/MWh, meaning generators effectively pay to stay connected. Occurs when inflexible generators cannot reduce output fast enough to match oversupply from wind and solar. NEM — National Electricity Market: Australia's interconnected wholesale electricity market covering QLD1, NSW1, VIC1, SA1 and TAS1. 5-minute dispatch intervals. NEMWEB — AEMO's file-based data distribution system for NEM market data (CSV, often zipped). gridIQ pulls data from NEMWEB every five minutes. Peaking Generation — Power stations that run primarily during high demand or high prices, typically gas-fired open-cycle turbines or hydro. PPA — Power Purchase Agreement: a long-term contract between an electricity generator and a buyer to purchase electricity at an agreed price. Pre-dispatch Forecast — AEMO's forward-looking price and demand forecast, 1-40 hours ahead, updated every 30 minutes. REC — Renewable Energy Certificate: a generic term for tradeable certificates representing one MWh of renewable generation. In Australia: LGCs (large-scale) and STCs (small-scale). Region ID — The identifier used by AEMO for each pricing region: NSW1, VIC1, SA1, QLD1, TAS1 (NEM, 5-min dispatch) and WA1 (WEM, 30-min trading). Renewable Penetration — The proportion of electricity demand met by renewable generation at a given time, expressed as a percentage. Scope 2 Emissions — Indirect GHG emissions from purchased electricity (GHG Protocol). Location-based uses a regional annual average emission factor, which can be time-matched to actual grid carbon intensity. Market-based reflects contracted electricity, substantiated by retired EAC instruments (LGCs, GreenPower) or a PPA; without instruments it equals the location-based figure. Settlement — The financial process where AEMO calculates amounts owed based on dispatch data, metering and contract positions. NEM settlement moved to 5-minute intervals in October 2021. Spot Price — The wholesale price of electricity set by AEMO's dispatch engine each dispatch interval. Ranges from -$1,000/MWh to $17,500/MWh in the NEM. System Strength — A measure of the power system's ability to maintain stable voltage and withstand disturbances. Traditionally provided by synchronous generators; increasingly by synchronous condensers or grid-forming inverters as coal/gas retire. Trading Interval — The 30-minute pricing period used in the WEM. 48 per day. Transmission — The high-voltage network carrying electricity from large generators to distribution networks, managed by Transmission Network Service Providers (TNSPs). TUOS — Transmission Use of System charges: fees paid by electricity users and generators for using the transmission network. VWAP — Volume-Weighted Average Price: the average spot price over a period, weighted by traded volume. WEM — Wholesale Electricity Market: Western Australia's standalone electricity market, operated by AEMO but separate from the NEM. 30-minute trading intervals, separate capacity market, covers the SWIS around Perth. ## gridIQ pricing (AUD) - Free: $0/mo. 21-day Pro trial included. Live prices, generation mix, market scores, weather, limited Watt AI queries, 3 price alerts. - Pro: $499/mo ($399/mo billed annually). Every tool and feature, unlimited Watt AI, unlimited alerts, full NEM + WEM analytics, PPA backtesting, multi-site portfolio (5 sites included), Scope 1 + Scope 2 carbon accounting. - Consultant: $999/mo ($799/mo billed annually). Everything in Pro plus isolated multi-client workspaces and the gridIQ API Developer tier bundled on one subscription. - gridIQ API (separate product, add-on to any app tier or standalone): Developer $299/mo (25,000 calls/mo), Business $999/mo (250,000 calls/mo), Enterprise (sales-gated, 1,000,000 calls/mo cap). ## Open API endpoints (no key required, optional Bearer giq_ key for higher limits) - GET https://gridiq.com.au/api/aemo/prices/current — latest 5-minute dispatch price, demand and price tier for every NEM/WEM region - GET https://gridiq.com.au/api/aemo/prices/{region} — price history for a region - GET https://gridiq.com.au/api/aemo/generation/current — current generation mix by fuel type, per region - GET https://gridiq.com.au/api/aemo/predispatch/{region} — AEMO pre-dispatch price forecast for a region - Full documentation: https://gridiq.com.au/docs/api ## Key public data pages - https://gridiq.com.au/prices/today — live spot price, all 6 regions, one page - https://gridiq.com.au/prices/{nsw,vic,sa,qld,tas,wa} — live regional spot price + 24h chart - https://gridiq.com.au/carbon/{region} — live regional grid carbon intensity - https://gridiq.com.au/generation/{region} — live regional generation mix - https://gridiq.com.au/forecast/{region} — AEMO pre-dispatch price forecast by region - https://gridiq.com.au/interconnector-flows — real-time NEM interconnector flows and constraints - https://gridiq.com.au/gas-prices — daily STTM/DWGM gas hub prices - https://gridiq.com.au/certificate-prices — weekly LGC/STC clearing prices - https://gridiq.com.au/carbon-credit-prices — quarterly ACCU/SMC spot prices - https://gridiq.com.au/glossary — full glossary index - https://gridiq.com.au/insights/narratives — daily AI-generated market narratives, published permanently - https://gridiq.com.au/insights/events/this-week — rolling 7-day market event digest Source for all AEMO-derived data: Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), NEM and WEM dispatch data. Source for certificate/carbon-credit data: Clean Energy Regulator (CER). Last reviewed: 2026-07.