Australia’s NEM hit records for demand and renewables output in Q4

Quarterly demand was up 2.4% year-on-year.

Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has reported record-breaking demand levels in the National Electricity Market (NEM), reaching a maximum demand record of 33,716 megawatts (MW) in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024.

In its Quarterly Energy Dynamics report for Q4 2024, AEMO said that the average quarterly total demand was also up 24% to 23,737 MW.

Renewable energy output, specifically rooftop solar and grid-scale solar, also increased 18% and 9%, respectively. This led to minimum demand records across the NEM and in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania.

“Renewable energy supplied a record 46% of the market’s electricity, peaking at 75.6% for a period on 6 November, driving emissions to record low levels,” said AEMO Executive General Manager - Reform Delivery Violette Mouchaileh.

The official also said that the rise in rooftop solar output, along with record low coal-generation availability, led to coal-fired generation contributing less than 50% of the NEM’s total generation for the first time.

In Western Australia, coal generation dropped by 19.5% due to reduced coal plant availability. This was offset by increases in rooftop solar (20.3%), gas (14.4%), and battery contributions (1,400%).

“Increased battery storage in Western Australia helped the state hit a new quarterly average renewable contribution record of 46.4% and a renewable energy peak of 85.1%,” Mouchaileh said.