Other Good Stuff

Graph of the Day: Higher SA wind output, lower wholesale power prices

Published by

Today’s chart is similar to yesterday’s – it shows the relationship between wind power output and wholesale price in South Australia.

Unlike yesterday’s chart on gas, wind has the opposite effect – as you get more wind power output in each interval, the price ends up lower.
This is because wind introduces more competition, has no fuel costs, and also receives revenue from the Renewable Energy Target (RET) scheme – all of these factors mean wind’s increasing output results in lower wholesale price in SA.
This is good, but obviously the impact varies with wind power output in the state. Once wind starts being paired with firming output – including storage technologies – we’re going to see some very big changes in this dynamic.

Obviously, wind will be slightly more expensive, but at the same time, it’ll be dispatchable – and perhaps, as battery costs fall, it might end up even cheaper. Good times.

Click on ‘Full Screen’ to view full graph.
 Author: Ketan Joshi. Reproduced with permission.

Ketan Joshi is a European-based climate and energy consultant.

Ketan Joshi

Ketan Joshi is a European-based climate and energy consultant.

Recent Posts

Australia’s biggest energy users are being lined up to break the wind drought in its most coal dependent state

Data centres and the country's biggest aluminium smelter will finally get to break the long…

18 August 2026

The $2.5 billion wind project getting ready for take-off, 23 years after farmer landholders were first approached

After more than two decades of planning, this huge wind project is edging closer to…

18 August 2026

One of Australia’s biggest wind projects seeks green light to add solar and battery

The developers behind a mammoth proposed 1.4 gigawatt (GW) wind farm is seeking federal environmental…

18 August 2026

What federal and state rebate changes mean for C&I solar and batteries – in 8 charts

Eight charts show how two big policy announcements in the space of a fortnight have…

18 August 2026

Safeguard will short-change climate targets, study says, rules should be tougher on fossil fuels

Australian investors are pushing for big changes to Australia's major pollution policy and they could…

18 August 2026

Bigger than Godzilla: Fortescue receives second shipment of turbine parts to top “self-lifting” towers

A second shipment of some of the biggest wind turbine parts yet seen in Australia,…

18 August 2026