In February VIC and SA solar farms had a big uptick in weighted average prices. Wind weighted average prices were also higher for all regions except QLD. VIC maximum generator outages were exceptionally high due to the Loy Yang A outage caused by a forced trip on 13 Feb.
This part of our Monthly Report concentrates on generation, where the Highlights section draws out the key takeaways from new generation and retirements, planned outages, generator performance, curtailment, technology mix, and hydro storages. The second half of the report outlines the charts and tables for further perusal.
1.0 Highlights
This section is a summary of monthly generation which can help tell the story of the drivers of price outcomes in the spot market. The most notable event in February which was explained in our Spot Price report, was on a very hot 13 February, a storm knocked over transmission towers, disrupted part of the distribution network and tripped power stations including Loy Yang A. As a consequence load shedding was instigated causing the spot price to be set at the maximum for almost 2 hours in VIC and just over 1 hour in Tasmania. Other Regions were not significantly impacted on the day.
