Chart of the week | Free fallin’: Green generator values hit hard by COVID-19

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been a downturn in GB power demand and an associated slump in wholesale prices. This has has resulted in a sharp decline in green generator revenues. However, the magnitude of these impacts depends heavily on a generators’ routes to market and trading choices. We comment on several headline findings from our recently published Green Power Forecast report.

To keep reading, please log in to your account

Related thinking

Commercial and market outlook

Is the sun setting on utility solar?

The Federal Government has legislated emissions reductions of 43% below 2005 levels by 2030. Sourcing electricity from renewable technologies is fundamental to meeting this, with a much-publicised target of 82% renewables in the grid by 2030 – up from a current value of 38% over the last year. Fortunately, the...

Low carbon generation

“Ooh, a storm is threatening, My very [interconnection] today”: Can states utilise interconnection to share wind resources?

Penetration of renewables continues to dominate the energy news, as we saw renewables as a proportion of total demand reach new heights this week to a new record of ~70% penetration. In light of this continuing march toward a renewable-dominated grid (building on some analysis we did in Chart of...

Low carbon generation

“If I don’t get some shelter, ooh yeah, I’m gonna fade away”: How much firming is needed for wind?

In the last week, renewable generation in SA has varied from 126% of local demand to only 0.6%. During this period of low wind in the state, SA was importing ~600MW from Victoria. At that same time, renewables were thankfully generating 34% in VIC, along with brown coal pretty much...

Commercial and market outlook

Patriots ‘Dynasty’ off to a rough start, as New England suffers loss to the MLFs…

For many, the first of April is marked in calendars as a day for jokes and silly nuisances. For the few, specifically the energy industry, we have it pencilled in for the release of the upcoming year’s Marginal Loss Factors (MLFs). Over the last half-decade, movements in MLFs have received...

Energy storage and flexibility

Crying over spilled solar – how much can a battery help?

A standalone battery earns its revenue not only from the arbitrage opportunity between day and night prices but also from participation in FCAS markets. This remains true when the battery is paired with a solar farm but can be complicated by constraints or trade-offs between FCAS participation and solar export....

Power and gas networks

Queensland SuperGrid – Faster than a speeding bullet

The Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan (QEJP) sets an ambitious goal to deliver the Queensland SuperGrid. The SuperGrid is the future electricity system aiming to deliver consumers clean, reliable, and affordable power. As part of the plan, all publicly owned coal-fired power plants are intended to be retired by 2035....

Commercial and market outlook

Australia’s hydrogen success is tied to energy market policies

According to South Australia’s Hydrogen Power Plant study, the global demand for hydrogen is projected to reach 650 megatons in 2050, with a potential export market of $300b per year. In this market, Australia is well placed for renewable hydrogen production with a considerable penetration of variable renewable energy (VRE)....

Home supply and services

A bumpy ride: Why rising wholesale prices are impacting NTS charges

Due to the current energy crisis, consumer energy bills have been exposed to substantial increases over the past year. The recent rise in wholesale prices has had knock-on effects in many non-commodity costs within consumer bills, some of which will be baked into charges for several years to come In...