The world's largest gridscale battery - the Hornsdale Power Reserve battery - charged for the first time at 8.36am this morning, reaching 31 MW in 2 mins. Congrats to all who collaborated to achieve this in such a short time!
Our latest
#energyinsights
shows that renewable generation in South Australia exceeded total demand for the state just about every second day (180 days) last year, peaking at 135% of total demand in November.
We have released Australia’s 20-year energy roadmap today, outlining a plan to create a modern, efficient and resilient energy system that delivers $11bn in net market benefits to 2040. Access it here
Renewables supplied over 40% of total energy generated in the NEM last week, setting a new instantaneous renewables record of 64.1% on Sunday, up 2.2% from the previous record, underscoring AEMO’s goal to engineer grids to manage times of up to 100% renewables by 2025.
New operational demand records set in VIC (1,564 MW) & SA (-26 MW) on 31 December 2023, with
#rooftopsolar
contributing two-thirds of VIC's & all of SA's total energy needs. On the day, wholesale electricity prices averaged -$66.54 & -$73.02 ($/MWh) in SA & VIC, respectively.
BREAKING NEWS! A new record for variable renewable energy was set yesterday 21 August 2020 with 11.7 gigawatts (GW) large scale solar, wind and rooftop solar PV recorded across the NEM. The previous record was 11.3 GW in November 2019. Full details here
AEMO’s Quarterly Energy Dynamics report for Q4 2021 shows renewable energy continued to drive down wholesale electricity prices and set record-low daytime demand levels across the nation. More here:
#AEMOinsights
Australia's National Electricity Market hit a record 69.9% instantaneous
#renewable
penetration for the 30 minutes ending 11:30am. Our goal is to engineer
#powersystems
to securely operate at 100% renewables at times by 2025.
A new instantaneous renewable generation record was set in the NEM today with renewables providing 68.7% at 12:30, up 4.6% from the previous (18/09/22). AEMO this week updated the NEM Data Dashboard to include renewable penetration insights, check it out:
Rooftop solar provided 92% (at 1220MW) of South Australia's electricity needs on Sunday, helping set a new minimum demand record of 104 MW from 12:30 to 1pm – down 45% from the previous record of 188MW on 31 October 2021.
After almost four years, AEMO CEO Audrey Zibelman has informed AEMO's Board that she will step down at the end of 2020. AEMO Chairman Drew Clarke thanked Audrey for her major contribution to the Australian energy transition.
AEMO’s QED report for Q3 2021, published today, shows renewable energy continues to set new records, reaching 61.4% instantaneous renewable penetration in the NEM and 70% in the WEM. More findings here:
South Australia’s minimum operational demand fell by more than 20% to 188MW on Sunday, replacing the previous record of 236MW on 26 September 2021. At the time, rooftop solar supplied 87% (1,215MW) of underlying demand
#NEMrecord
AEMO has developed an animation to answer this important question, “what will keep the lights on in the future?” As coal power stations retire, renewables, connected with transmission, supported by storage & gas, is the lowest-cost way to supply electricity to consumers.
AEMO today announced that it has suspended the spot market in all regions of the National Electricity Market from 14:05 (AEST), under the National Electricity Rules. Our statement here:
Last year, AEMO connected 23 projects totaling 2.9 gigawatts (up 137 megawatts from the 30 connected in 2021) including Australia’s largest solar farm, wind farm, and hybrid facility, with projects becoming larger and more complex than ever before.
#Yearinreview
Rooftop solar PV installed on millions of homes and businesses has set new generation records across Australia in the last few weeks, and we expect these records to be broken through the upcoming summer.
#AEMOinsights
It's official! Victoria experienced its highest operational demand for a Sunday ever, recording 9,144 MW of demand at 7:30 PM AEDT. At the same time, the system had 1,384 MW in reserve (not including the strategic RERT reserve). It’s still hot – stay safe
After three years of research, market trials and consumer consultation, Project EDGE shows a way forward for coordinating DER market participation at scale, helping improve electricity reliability, grid-security, and ultimately consumer affordability.
On Sunday, the National Electricity Market hit a new minimum operational demand record (11,224 MW, down 169 MW), with
#rooftopsolar
supplying 51% of total demand. Records were also broken in QLD & SA, with rooftop solar meeting 99.7% of total demand in SA from 1pm to 1:30pm.
#SouthAustralia
joined Vic, QLD, and WA in reaching a new minimum operational demand record this spring, with demand dropping to 100 MW at 1pm on Sunday, down 4 MW from the previous record (21/11/21). At the time, rooftop solar provided 92% of SA's power needs.
#Springtrend
.
AEMO has published the Engineering Roadmap to 100% Renewables report, an overview of the engineering actions needed as the renewable resource potential in the NEM increases to meet 100% of demand as early as 2025.
Mild temperatures & clear skies helped set a new NEM minimum operational demand record 12:30pm yesterday (12,583 megawatts), falling nearly 3% from the previous record set in October 2021. At the time, rooftop solar contributed 42% of total energy demand.
#Springtrend
At AEMO, one of our four core values is Inclusive. That is why we want to vocalise our support for the
#BlackLivesMatter
movement unfolding around the globe, and acknowledge that as
#ReconciliationWeek
ends, much more needs to be done to end racial discrimination and injustice.
Just seven days after the previous record (3,672MW on 7 August), Queensland’s minimum operational demand dropped by nearly 200MW to a new record low of 3,490MW at 12:30pm Sunday. At the time, sunny conditions allowed rooftop solar to contribute 44% (2,777MW) of underlying demand.
The WEM smashed the instantaneous renewable generation record by 3.7% on Monday, supplying 84.3% of underlying demand at 11am. At the time, estimated rooftop solar contributed 60.6% and wind 17.9%. Between 8am to 3pm renewables supplied an average 78% of underlying demand.
The power system held up in extreme heat from a supply / demand perspective today, but there are local VIC network outages - crews from Powercor, CitiPower, United Energy, Ausnet and Jemena working hard to restore! Stay safe!!
AEMO’s newly released Renewable Integration Study shows Australia can operate our power system with 75% renewables at times if recommended changes are applied. For more key findings and insights access the full study here
Dropping almost 5.5% from the previous record (25 Sept 2022), a new minimum demand record of 11,892 MW was set in the NEM at 11am (AEST) on Sunday. At the time, renewable generation contributed 67% of underlying demand, of which 45% was rooftop solar.
#Springtrend
For the first time ever, grid-scale batteries were the largest providers of Frequency Control Ancillary Service (FCAS) in Q1 2022, reaching a combined share of 31% across the NEM’s eight FCAS markets. More QED insights here:
#AEMOinsights
"We need to build a system and market now, not in a few decades, that can operate at close to 100% instantaneous renewable energy," said AEMO's Chief System Design Officer, Alex Wonhas, at Australian Energy Week.
#AEW2021
The NEM broke through the 14,000 MW minimum operational demand level for the first time since Tasmania joined in 2006, setting a new record of 13,972 MW on Sunday, 221 MW below the August 2021 record. At the time, renewables met 55% of total energy demand & rooftop solar PV 34%.
Today, the National Electricity Market hit a new instantaneous renewable penetration record of 71.3% for the 30 minutes ending 12:00pm, up 0.5% from the previous record set on Monday this week. At that time, rooftop solar supplied 44.23% of total electricity generated.
Developed through deep industry collaboration with over 1,500 stakeholders, AEMO today published its 2022 Integrated System Plan outlining a 30-year roadmap of investments for the National Electricity Market.
We are pleased to share the Draft 2022 Integrated System Plan today, proposing a 30-year ‘optimal development path’ for electricity investment in the National Electricity Market (NEM). View it here:
#EnergyFuture
Wind generation set a new record yesterday, reaching 5,430 MW or 26% of total generation in the National Electricity Market, exceeding the past record set in August 2020 by 188 MW!
AEMO can confirm, Five Minute Settlements (5MS) has today commenced in the NEM: aligning the market’s price signal with the physical electricity system, which matches demand and supply every five minutes.
AEMO has lifted generation constraints on 5 solar farms in the West Murray Zone following successful testing of new tuned inverter settings. We recognise efforts of
@TransGrid
@PowercorAust
@SMA_Australia
@cleannrgcouncil
towards this positive outcome
At 12:30pm Saturday 19 August, QLD hit a new minimum operational demand record of 3,459MW. Mild temperatures and clear skies at the time saw rooftop solar contribute to 42% of QLD’s total electricity generation, followed by black coal (40%), grid-scale solar (12%), and wind (6%).
Weekend sunny skies in Western Australia allowed rooftop solar to generate around 62% of total demand at 12:30-1pm on Sunday, driving a new minimum operational demand record of 866 MW – nearly a 10% drop since the previous record of 952 MW on 14 March 2021!
To help minimise the stress on the system, AEMO is calling on consumers in NSW to temporarily reduce their energy usage where safe/possible by:
> Avoiding running multiple appliances at once,
> Setting air conditioners to 24 degrees, and
> Temporarily switching off pool pumps
There was a new record set in South Australia last Sunday…for minimum grid demand. To find out why that matters, and how the boom in rooftop solar is shifting traditional peak electricity periods, check out
#AEMOEnergyLive
for our in-depth analysis.
The NEM's minimum operational demand record fell by more than 1GW on Sunday to 12,936 MW, the equivalent to almost half of Tasmania’s average daily energy needs! At the time, renewables met 58% of total demand - rooftop solar 40%, another record.
#NEMRecord
On behalf of the AEMO team here, we would like to thank the consumers who helped conserve energy during the event yesterday, and we will continue to update you if conditions change.
The world’s largest battery lives right here in Australia! But does it actually work? (The answer is yes, it does). Check out our latest news on the inner workings of the Hornsdale Power Reserve Battery Storage System (HPR)
AEMO has published the Draft 2024 Integrated System Plan, a roadmap for the
#energytransition
. It includes an optimal pathway of generation, storage & transmission needed to meet consumer energy needs as Australia transitions to a
#netzeroeconomy
by 2050.
WA’s minimum operational demand record was broken twice this weekend, first on Saturday (759 MW), and then on Sunday (742 MW) with rooftop solar providing more than two-thirds (70%) of the State's electricity needs at the time☀️
Despite the unseasonably warm weather, AEMO can confirm that there are currently no reserve issues in South Australia, and no threat to power system security. To find out more about Lack of Reserve notices, check out our fact sheet on
#AEMOEnergyLive
#WesternAustralia
's minimum operational demand record was broken on Saturday (683 MW) and then again on Sunday (626MW), dropping 11.5% from the previous record set last week (707MW). At the time, estimated rooftop solar provided a record 74% of underlying demand.
#Springtrend
Yesterday, the NEM set a record low demand of 11,009MW at 1.30pm, a 1.9% fall from the previous record set earlier this month. At the time, renewables contributed 67% of total electricity generation. NSW & VIC also set new low demand records of 3,719MW & 1,915MW, respectively.
AEMO’s latest QED report shows output from renewable energy sources has continued to grow, while wholesale energy prices have fallen despite warmer temps driving increased electricity demand across the NEM.
Report:
Media release:
At 12:30pm last Sunday, not only did the NEM reach a new❄️winter❄minimum operational demand record of 14,159 MW, down 34 MW from the previous winter record (Aug 2021), but total solar generation (50%) outshone coal (43%) at the time. More on our website:
A new minimum operational demand record is expected on Sunday in the NEM, with a fall of 1.5 gigawatts below the current record. The energy reduction expected is close to two-thirds of Tasmania’s total daily energy needs!
#NEMrecord
AEMO can confirm sufficient electricity supply can be made available to meet forecast demand this weekend across the National Electricity Market, with improvements in generation availability. Our statement:
Yesterday, the National Electricity Market set a record low demand of 11,393 MW at 12.30pm, a 4.2% fall from the previous record set last spring (Nov 2022). At the time, rooftop and grid-scale solar contributed 57% of total electricity supply in the NEM.
Mild temperatures and clear skies helped set a new minimum operational demand record for the National Electricity Market (14,193 MW) between 1-1:30pm on Sunday. At the time, renewables contributed to 57.1% of total generation - another record!
Australia’s world-leading investment in rooftop solar has driven new minimum operational demand records for electricity this spring in QLD, NSW, VIC, SA, and WA.
#Sprintrend
Grid-scale batteries are on the rise in Australia, with 261 megawatts (MWs) of existing projects and 18,660 MWs proposed. Learn more about batteries here and check out the projects proposed in AEMO's Generation Information file .
Whilst most staff at AEMO are working remotely, our critical operators are still working from the control rooms, so they can keep the lights on and the gas flowing. 💡
We would like to express our gratitude to our controllers, and for all essential and frontline workers.
#SouthAustralia
reached a new minimum operational demand record of 236 megawatts at 1:30 to 2pm last Sunday, a 21% decrease from the previous record on 11 October 2020. At the time,
#rooftopPV
contributed 83% of total energy demand (1,131MW).
On Sunday, South Australia set a new record for minimum operational demand...for the second week in a row! All the details about this new record are available here
November was a record month for renewable generation in Western Australia's major power system, with renewables supplying around 43% of total electricity generated in the month and instantaneous penetration records broken on 3 consecutive weekends.
#WEMinsights
AEMO has cancelled the forecast LOR3 in Queensland due to sufficient electricity supply from generators returning to service. We thank all involved in managing this event and continue to monitor the situation.
@powerlinkqld
@Energex
@ErgonEnergy
@QldGov
WA’s main grid hit two new records on 25 September, with minimum operational demand falling to 595.1 MW and
#rooftopsolar
generation hitting 76.3% of total demand. Recent WEM reforms will help manage new records as we transition to
#netzero
Read more:
Victoria joined Queensland & New South Wales in setting a new minimum operational demand record this Spring, reaching 2,285 megawatts 1pm Sunday (previous record 2,333 MW Nov 2021). At the time, rooftop PV met half of Victoria’s total electricity demand.
#Springtrend
New NEM minimum demand record set today at 12,936 MW, more than a gigawatt below the previous record set last week. NSW also set a new record at 4,425 MW, 436 MW lower than the previous.
#NEMrecord
A new minimum operational demand record is expected on Sunday in the NEM, with a fall of 1.5 gigawatts below the current record. The energy reduction expected is close to two-thirds of Tasmania’s total daily energy needs!
#NEMrecord
To minimise the stress on the system, AEMO is requesting consumers in Queensland to temporarily reduce their energy usage tonight from 5pm to 9pm, where safe to do so.
Thanks to the hard work and preparation of AEMO employees, industry members and RERT providers, the NEM has passed another challenging day of extreme heat. To find out how you can stay safe and conserve energy during extreme days go to
#AEMOEnergyLive
>>
Distributed batteries that store solar energy act like lungs for the grid. They breathe in excess solar energy during the day, and exhale as the sun goes down. Great to see a community battery trial progressing on the east coast. AEMO welcomes today’s announcement from
@Ausgrid
.
We're excited to launch our first Community Battery, marking the start of a 2 year trial that aims to transform the way solar energy is stored. Thanks to
@Matt_KeanMP
, Mayor Michael Regan and Northern Beaches Council for supporting our launch in Beacon Hill this morning.
#solar
Price caps are now in place in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. AEMO also forecasts some supply shortfalls in QLD and NSW this evening and will work with the industry to improve electricity reserves. Our latest statement:
The turn of the season brought with it a wintry gust this week, resulting in a new wind record of 6,852 MW on Monday across the National Electricity Market, providing 37% of total generation and replacing the previous record of 6,427 MW on 25 July 2021.
#AEMOinsights
Minimum operational demand records normally falling in spring continued into summer in Victoria, with a new record of 2,195 MW set yesterday at 1pm, dropping 3.9% from the previous set in October 2022 (2,285 MW). At the time, rooftop solar contributed 55% of underlying demand.
AEMO has introduced two new markets into the National Electricity Market as part of the NEM Reform program, taking important steps forward in delivering a modern power system to meet Australia’s net-zero future.
Read more here:
Australia is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transition towards a low emission and decentralised system, changing the way we generate, store and use energy. AEMO is at the heart of this transition with industry, ensuring safe, reliable and affordable energy.
#JoinAEMO
Our latest Quarterly Energy Dynamics report shows
#renewables
supplied a record 70% of total electricity used over a half-hour period, with rooftop solar contributing 39%, highlighting the likely benefit from coordinating rooftop solar and home
#batteries
.
Residents have been told to stay inside and secure all doors and windows after an out of control fire continues to tear through a power plant in Wollongong, NSW.
#9News
Daytime minimum operational demand records broken yesterday for the National Electricity Market (14,614MW), Victoria (3,063MW) and SA (300MW), driven by the continued growth in rooftop solar and fine weather conditions.
Another hot one today across
#AUS
. Did you know - for every
1 degree over 38, AEMO estimates an additional 125 MW of demand on the system? If 100,000 consumers temporarily switch off their pool pumps during high demand (4PM-7PM), this can reduce demand by approximately 150 MW!
AEMO has declared a forecast LOR3. To minimise the stress on the system, AEMO is requesting consumers in Queensland to temporarily reduce their energy usage tonight from 5pm to 9pm, where safe to do so.
AEMO’s Quarterly Energy Dynamics report shows electricity prices in the NEM were up 141% from Q1 2021, at an average $87 per megawatt-hour for Q1 2022, driven by increased demand, coal generator outages, and higher electricity-generating fuel costs.
Renewables supplied nearly 40% of total electricity generated in WA’s WEM last week, also setting a new instantaneous renewables record of 81% on Saturday, up 1.3% from the previous record. At the time, rooftop PV was estimated to contribute over 61% of underlying demand.
AEMO has completed the SIPS procurement process for the
@VicGovAu
to secure up to 250 MW of extra power during summer with
@NEOEN_Energy
’s 300 MW ‘Victorian Big Battery’ to be built near Geelong.
AEMO has cancelled all actual LOR conditions in Queensland. Electricity reserves, through various sources, including RERT, reduced public use and demand-management support, helped navigate the tight supply conditions during Queensland’s evening peak-demand period today.
At AEMO, we play a critical role in Australia’s energy system. Our operators work 24/7 to deliver an essential service & ensure the electricity and gas flows. This Easter they want everyone to stay at home and only go out if necessary to help save lives. Happy Easter from AEMO.
It’s going to be HOT in the southern states this weekend, but the supply/demand balance looks good in all regions. Be sure to check out our energy facts while staying safe and cool on
#AEMOEnergyLive
At 1pm Sunday, NSW hit a new minimum operational demand record of 4,101 megawatts. Clear skies and mild temperatures at the time saw rooftop solar contribute to 42.6% of NSW’s total electricity generation, followed by black coal (37.5%), wind (14.4%) and grid-scale solar (5.5%).
We acknowledge that the health and wellbeing of consumers remains the highest priority, so please only conserve energy if it is safe to do so.
To view our full statement, and further updates, please head to AEMO Energy Live:
AEMO’s updated 10-year electricity reliability report shows reduced short-term risks, but the timely investment in generation, long-duration storage and transmission remains critical as Australia moves rapidly away from its dependency on coal generation.
AEMO’s latest Quarterly Energy Dynamics report shows the growing penetration of grid-scale renewables and
#rooftopsolar
pushed down wholesale energy prices and greenhouse gas emissions – reducing reliance on coal-fired generation.
Further details of the record breaking winter weekend are now available in our latest News Update - we have provided data, graphs and context for the unique trio of demand records. Get the full story here
Understanding the terms used in our energy sector can be challenging. To help, we’ve produced a quick explainer on what Lack of Reserve (LOR) and load shedding means: