AEMO report shows wholesale power prices plunge across Australia as renewable energy reaches record highs
Wholesale energy prices have fallen by more than 60 per cent in one state, powered by growing use of wind farms, solar panels and batteries.
Wholesale power prices have almost halved across most of Australia in a change fuelled by record-breaking renewable energy generation and thousands more batteries.
But not all households have experienced the same price drops, with energy costs in one state slashed by 60 per cent while another suffered a price rise of 30 per cent.
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) released the findings in a report on Tuesday, which revealed significant price drops across the east coast powered by more wind energy and less gas use.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The report comes weeks after the CSIRO’s GenCost report predicted renewable energy would lower power prices until 2030, after which energy infrastructure of all kinds would need to be replaced.
AEMO’s Quarterly Energy Dynamics report showed wholesale energy prices fell by an average of 47 per cent across the National Electricity Market during the second quarter of 2026, with the biggest drop experienced in Victoria, where prices plunged by 60 per cent.
NSW recorded the second-largest price drop at 53 per cent, followed by Queensland at 44 per cent, Tasmania at 39 per cent, and South Australia at 38 per cent.
Record-breaking renewable energy generation helped to cut costs, the report found, and made up 42.1 per cent of the power in the national grid, up from 37.1 per cent at the same time in 2025.
Wind power made the greatest gains, up by 20 per cent, followed by grid-scale and rooftop solar, while gas-powered energy generation dropped by 30 per cent and coal-powered generation dipped by five per cent.
The results proved Australia’s electricity market was undergoing significant change, Australian Energy Market Operator policy executive general manager Violette Mouchaileh said.
“Record renewable generation, combined with growing battery storage and consumer energy resources, continues to reshape Australia’s energy markets,” she said.
“These technologies are changing demand patterns, supporting system reliability, and increasing the amount of lower-cost energy available across the market.”
Batteries also helped to shift energy demand outside peak hours, the report found, while milder weather reduced the need for household heating.
The findings proved renewable energy could reduce power bills in Australia, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said, while also cutting carbon emissions.
“The transition is well under way as renewables and batteries are powering more of Australia’s homes and businesses than ever before,” he said.
Households in Western Australia did not experience the same power price cuts as the rest of the nation, however, as power costs in the Wholesale Electricity Market rose by 30 per cent.
Colder temperatures triggered greater energy demand in the state during the quarter, wind power slowed due to an outage, and coal-fired power generation dropped by 17 per cent, the report found, which raised gas use and prices.
