Ongoing uncertainty about the future of Queensland’s Callide C coal-fired power station and the closure of AGL Energy’s Liddell plant in NSW this week has raised concerns about a shortfall in capacity in the National Electricity Market this winter.

With the Australian Energy Regulator attributing a rise in wholesale electricity prices in the March quarter to the Callide C return being delayed until later this year, energy experts have warned more unplanned outages in the colder months would put the grid under pressure.