Market analysis of 1 January 2026
Regional demand in South Australia peaked at 1,559.06 MW at 20:40 on 1 January 2026. The day’s lowest observation was -169.33 MW at 12:20, so demand moved by 1,728.39 MW from trough to peak.
At the demand peak the wholesale price was AUD 30.49/MWh. The day’s highest price, AUD 56.12/MWh, came at 00:00, and the daily price average was −AUD 25.88/MWh.
The Demand Profile Through The Day
The first chart traces five-minute demand and dispatchable generation in South Australia, in fixed UTC+10. The gap between the two lines reflects the region’s net interchange with its neighbours across the day.
How The Five Regions Compared
The second chart compares each region’s peak demand for 1 January 2026. South Australia’s peak of 1,559 MW compares with Queensland 8,020 MW, New South Wales 7,498 MW, Victoria 4,595 MW, Tasmania 953 MW.
What The Day Means For Operations
For a battery operator, the question is where charging and discharging belonged within this curve. For a generator or retailer, the same timestamps show which intervals carried the most value or cost. Reviewing the day interval by interval keeps these signals visible where a daily average would hide them.
This analysis uses Network Map’s regional observations dated 1 January 2026. Prices are in Australian dollars per megawatt-hour, times use fixed UTC+10, and daily averages give equal weight to each five-minute observation.
Explore The Data
Markets, Revenue Reconciliation, Battery Revenue Benchmarks.
