In the Australian National Electricity Market, on Saturday, September 22, solar and wind energy met 80.4% of electricity demand. For the grid covering the eastern states, South Australia and the Capital Territory, this recorded rate, which lasted for about 30 minutes at lunchtime, shows that rooftop solar panels alone met more than half of the demand.
Some of the excess energy was captured in pumped hydroelectric storage and batteries. A portion was curtailed by the system’s safety rules, network constraints, and low wholesale prices brought on by excess supply at the same time (curtailed). At the end of the same week, coal production in Queensland hit a record low.

