South Australia and Victoria Set New Minimum Electricity Demand Records During Festive Period

South Australia and Victoria recorded new minimum operational electricity demand levels over the Christmas and year-end period, driven by mild temperatures and strong rooftop solar generation, according to market data.

On Christmas Day, South Australia registered a minimum operational demand of –263 MW, surpassing the previous record of –205 MW set on 19 October 2024. The record low was observed at around 1:30 pm on 25 December, when renewable energy dominated the state’s power generation mix.

At the time, rooftop solar accounted for 91 percent of total electricity generation in South Australia, while wind contributed 4 percent. Gas-fired generation made up the remaining 4 percent, with renewables collectively supplying more than 95 percent of the state’s electricity demand.

Victoria also set a new minimum operational demand record under similar weather conditions. On 27 December, the state’s operational demand fell to 1,287 MW, breaking the previous record of 1,504 MW, which was recorded at 1:00 pm on 1 January 2025.

During the low-demand period in Victoria, rooftop solar supplied 66 percent of total generation, grid-scale solar contributed 2 percent, and brown coal accounted for 32 percent.

The record low demand levels in both states resulted in extreme negative electricity prices in the wholesale market on the respective days.

Operational demand refers to the electricity demand met by the power grid after accounting for the contribution from rooftop solar systems.