Rolling blackouts: Adelaide suburbs next on load shedding hit list revealed

The Premier has labelled the threat of rolling blackouts across Adelaide as a “market failure on a grand scale”. Here are the suburbs that would be hit first.

Residents across Adelaide’s northwest are next on the blackout hit list if the energy operator orders load shedding to protect the struggling power system.

It comes amid what Premier Peter Malinauskas has called a “market failure on a grand scale”, but his federal counterpart is confident the system can stave off any blackouts unless there are more “unexpected” power station closures.

Properties connected to the Woodville power substation would be first to cop a blackout of 45 minutes if SA Power Networks is ordered by the Australian Energy Market Operator to cut supply to keep the electricity grid stable.

Suburbs next on the hit list are Woodville Gardens, Wingfield, Pennington, Rosewater and Woodville.

If further load shedding is required, residents in suburbs including St Clair, Cheltenham, Woodville North, Ridleyton, Brompton and Bowden would have their power cut next.

If the PDF above doesn’t work, go here for the full list

Only if directed by AEMO, SA Power Networks conducts manual load shedding, which involves cutting supply to areas for 45 minutes each to help the power grid recover.

The last time manual load shedding occurred in SA was February 2017, when power was cut to more than 90,000 homes and businesses after AEMO ordered a 100-megawatt supply cut.

SA was spared any blackouts on Tuesday night as the market operator intervened to force energy generators to boost their supply.

AEMO is forecasting very low electricity reserves in SA on Wednesday night and Thursday.

Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the market operator was managing the crisis and could avoid the emergency measures.

“I am pleased that AEMO advises me … we will be able to avoid any load shedding events or any blackouts,” Mr Bowen said.

“Of course that is subject to any unexpected outages in the system.”

Mr Bowen revealed AEMO intervened “heavily” on Tuesday, forcing energy generators to pump more than 5000MW into the grid across the country.

Mr Malinauskas said there was a “degree of confidence” there was enough electricity in the system for now.

“But this remains a very precarious moment for the state’s energy system, as is the case throughout eastern Australia” he told ABC’s Radio National.

“To say we are disappointed by that prospect is I think a gross understatement.”

Mr Malinauskas said it showed a “market failure on a grand scale”.

Premier Peter Malinauskas said there is a “market failure on a grand scale”. Picture: Mark Brake

The market operator on Wednesday morning urged generators across SA, Victoria, NSW and Queensland to continue feeding electricity into the market despite runaway wholesale prices.

Energy generators have been pulling out of the market due to the extremely high wholesale prices, which have been capped at $300MW-hour in all four states.

“Today, AEMO continues to encourage generators across the NEM through our lack of reserve [LOR] notices in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia to bid their availability into the market, rather than being directed to do so,” AEMO said on Wednesday morning.

State Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis said generators were pulling out of the market as a “tactic” to force AEMO to issues direction for them to stay on.

If a generator is ordered to increase their output by AEMO, they are automatically compensated under the National Electricity Rules.

Originally published as Rolling blackouts: Adelaide suburbs next on load shedding hit list revealed