About NEMMCO 
Australia's National Electricity Market
The National Electricity Market (NEM)-a wholesale market for electricity supply in the Australian Capital Territory and the states of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia-commenced operating on 13 December 1998. The NEM delivers electricity to market customers on an interconnected power system that stretches more than 4000 km from Port Douglas in Queensland to Port Lincoln in South Australia, and includes a sea-bed cable between Victoria and Tasmania. The NEM comprises six regions that are based on the State boundaries, with the Snowy Hydro Scheme being classified as a region in its own right. Tasmania became the sixth region of the NEM in 2005.
Establishment of the NEM was the result of extensive consultation and collaboration between the states and the electricity supply industry. The NEM's development was guided by a major 1990s Industry Commission report that recommended a major restructure of the industry. The reforms led to the disaggregation of the vertically integrated government-owned electricity authorities into separate generation, transmission, distribution and retail sales sectors in each State. The goal of the reform process was to increase competition in the industry and provide greater choice for end-use electricity consumers.
NEMMCO and the Market
NEMMCO was established in May 1996 to implement, administer and operate the wholesale NEM, continually improve its efficiency and manage the security of the power system.
Broadly, NEMMCO's functions are to:
- operate Australia 's National Electricity Market (NEM);
- maintain the security of the interconnected power system, that stretches from Queensland to South Australia , and Tasmania in the south; and
- coordinate planning for the interconnected power system.
Within the National Electricity Market, NEMMCO is responsible for the registration of participants, the scheduling and dispatch of generators, the management of transmission constraints, and the financial settlement of trades in the market.
In 2006-07, approximately 195,000 gigawatts of electricity – valued at more than $11.6 billion – was traded in the NEM.
Media Releases
Media enquiries:
Paul Bird, GM Corporate Communications
03 9648 8724 or 0409 382 121
Publications
Drought Reports
NEMMCO produced a report entitled the "Potential Drought Impact on Electricity Supplies in the NEM", and presented this report to the Ministerial Council on Energy (MCE) in May 2007. At the meeting, the MCE authorised NEMMCO to release the report. This report, and subsequent Drought Scenarios Investigation reports, investigate the potential impact of the drought (within eastern and south-eastern Australia) on electricity supplies in the National Electricity Market.
Annual report
An Introduction to Australia's National Electricity Market. 6th ed.
This booklet, published June 2005, provides a basic overview of the NEM and NEMMCO's role in the market. For a hard copy of the booklet please email NEMMCO Information Centre or phone us on 1300 361 011 (toll free).
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An Introduction to Australia's National Electricity Market - 30 Jun 2005 |
Executive Briefings
NEMMCO is developing a series of information papers on various aspects of the NEM’s operation for a non-technical audience. The first two of these papers are available below in electronic form. For hard copies please email NEMMCO Information Centre or phone us on 1300 361 011 (toll free).
- Wholesale Market Operation : Executive Briefing
- Trading Arrangements in the NEM : Executive Briefing
- Statement of Opportunities 2007 : Executive Briefing
Statement of Opportunities & Annual National Transmission Statement
The Statement of Opportunities is intended to be a source of technical and market data to provide relevant and useful information regarding opportunities in the NEM.
- Updates to the 2007 Statement of Opportunities
- 2007 Statement of Opportunities
- Revised Market Simulation Studies for NSW
- 2008 ANTS Consultation
- 2006 Statement of Opportunities
- Updates to the Statement of Opportunities
2007 Energy and Demand Projections- Summary Report
Each year, NEMMCO receives regional energy consumption and maximum demand projections, for a 10-year outlook period, from the NEM Jurisdictional Planning Bodies (JPBs).
The following link:- provides a summary of these projections for the 10-year period commencing winter 2007; and
- includes a discussion of the processes and assumptions underlying the forecasts.
KEMA Review of SOO Load Forecasting
In late 2004, NEMMCO commissioned KEMA Consulting to perform an independent review of the process used to prepare the load forecasts for NEMMCO’s Statement of Opportunities, a copy of their report can be found here.
Week in Review
The week in review is published in a weekly Bulletin , and provides a snapshot of high low and average price and demand data for each week, along with interconnector flow and temperature data. The archived bulletins can be downloaded in pdf format , and the data used in generating the bulletin is also available in csv file format.
Events
NEMMCO Education
NEMMCO offers training courses on different aspects of the NEM to staff of registered participants and relevant jurisdictions and regulatory bodies.
Current Working Groups
NEMMCO has established a number of working groups to consult with stakeholders and interested parties. The purpose of the working groups is to provide an additional communication forum to assist in resolving issues as they arise and to contribute to the NEM’s ongoing improvement. Some working groups are convened for special purposes or projects, others are on-going. The enclosed list of NEMMCO Working groups is not an exhaustive list of industry groups, but indicates those groups that NEMMCO chairs, convenes or provides secretariat support to.
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NEMMCO Working Groups List - 20 Nov 2007 |