Brief
Battery farms and gas plants steadied South Australia’s grid during June cold snap
During a two‑day cold spell in late June, South Australia relied on grid‑scale batteries and gas generators to keep power flowing, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Large‑scale battery facilities helped stabilise Australia’s rapidly changing energy grid during a cold, almost windless spell that hit south‑eastern Australia in late June 2026, the SMH reported.
What happened
For two days in late June, a cold system moved across the region, prompting heaters to run at full capacity and wind farms to idle. On the evening of 21 June, South Australia’s grid‑scale batteries discharged nearly all of their stored energy to carry the state through the peak demand period. The following day, wholesale electricity prices rose and interstate transmission reached its limits, leading gas‑fired generators across the national grid to lift to their highest hourly average of the quarter – 3,328 megawatts.
What the reports add
The SMH article notes that, across the June quarter, renewables supplied a record 42.1 percent of generation in the National Electricity Market, while gas‑fired output fell to its lowest June‑quarter average since 2003, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). AEMO’s 2026 Integrated System Plan projects that the cheapest replacement for retiring coal is renewable energy firmed with storage and backed up by gas, with upgraded transmission.
What was said
CSIRO chief energy economist Paul Graham told the outlet in July that “batteries are increasingly becoming the preferred flexible generation technology in the near term.” The article also cites AEMO’s 2026 gas outlook, which warns that as Bass Strait production declines, new gas supply will be needed in most scenarios from 2026 onward.
How it came about
Australia’s grid now relies heavily on wind, water and sunshine for long stretches, then leans on stored and standby power when weather stops cooperating. Engineers refer to this standby layer as “firming.” AEMO expects two‑thirds of the remaining coal fleet to close by 2035, while electricity demand is projected to roughly double by 2050 as transport, industry and data centres electrify.
Key facts
- South Australia’s grid‑scale batteries discharged almost all stored energy on the evening of 21 June 2026. (smh.com.au)
- Gas‑fired generators reached a quarterly peak of 3,328 MW on 22 June 2026. (smh.com.au)
- Renewables supplied a record 42.1 percent of generation in the National Electricity Market in the June quarter. (smh.com.au)
- AEMO expects two‑thirds of the coal fleet to close by 2035 and electricity demand to double by 2050. (smh.com.au)
Sources
- [1] smh.com.au — originally reported as “The real backbone of Australia’s energy future”
