Coincident with the race, we’ve seen a number of comments in social media about the coincident (& large) drop in demand in NSW that occurred around the same time – a number of people linking the two together. Last year we posted both:
1) A review on Monday prior to the 2014 race of the effect of previous years; and
2) This review of how electricity demand changed in 2014 coincident with the running of the horses.
Here’s how this Tuesday’s change looked in NEM-Watch:
We should clarify, however, that (as noted in the image above) the large drop in load in 2015 was not due to the horse race, exciting as that might have been…
One of three founders of Global-Roam back in 2000, Paul has been CEO of the company since that time.
As an author on WattClarity, Paul's focus has been to help make the electricity market more understandable.
A Market Event Report has been published on the NEMMCO website discussing the market outcomes of the high energy prices in the New South Wales and Queensland regions on Friday, 31 October 2008.
Alerted by our NEMwatch dashboard, I delve into the data and see a scary degree of correlation between the (very low) output of wind farms in south-east South Australia, and (similarly low) output from newer wind farms in northern NSW.
New South Wales recently experienced a severe heatwave, which saw parts of the state exceed 45°C. During this three day period, small solar PV (i.e. PV systems that are not registered as generators in the NEM), generated about 17 GWh of power.
There was a temperature-driven spike in demand in NSW on Tuesday 21st November 2006.
These sweltering temperatures combined with bushfires to cause localised blackouts in the Sydney city area, as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald in the article “Power jitters as heat bites”.
4 Commentson "It wasn’t the horse race that led the large drop in load in NSW coincident with the race"
That’s my understanding also – however I did not know, for sure, if that information was public knowledge hence was not going to be the first to state so.
Th e story portrayed by the aluminium industry is that they couldn’t possibly participate in any load shedding at any time, because then all their pot lines would need to be emptied out of solid aluminium. Yet when when the problem is their side of the meter it doesn’t seem to be a problem.
Okay, I’m in suspense. So what did cause the significant drop in demand in NSW?
…it was Tomago Aluminium.
Thanks Tom
That’s my understanding also – however I did not know, for sure, if that information was public knowledge hence was not going to be the first to state so.
Paul
Th e story portrayed by the aluminium industry is that they couldn’t possibly participate in any load shedding at any time, because then all their pot lines would need to be emptied out of solid aluminium. Yet when when the problem is their side of the meter it doesn’t seem to be a problem.