AEMO On Air

Australian Energy Market Operator

A podcast about all things energy, brought to you by the Australian Energy Market Operator.

  1. 2d ago

    Charged up - how batteries are changing the game

    Send us Fan Mail From record renewable generation to falling wholesale electricity prices, AEMO’s latest Quarterly Energy Dynamics (QED) report reveals how household and grid-scale batteries are transforming when and how electricity is used, stored and supplied. In the latest episode of AEMO On Air, we unpack the September quarter’s biggest trends with AEMO’s Manager - Market Insights and Fee Structures, Kerry Galloway, including the growing influence of batteries, which supplied 8% of evening peak generation in the National Electricity Market (NEM), exceeding gas-fired generation for the first time in any quarter. The episode also looks at how renewables also reached new highs, contributing a record 44.3% of NEM generation during Q3, while in Western Australia, batteries supplied 93% of enabled essential system services volumes, helping drive a 98% reduction in enablement costs. Read the full QED – Q3 2026 Read the media release. Interviewer: Catie Low LinkedIn | X | Facebook

  2. Aug 24

    How Australia’s east coast is responding to growing electricity demand

    Send us Fan Mail AEMO’s 2026 Electricity Statement of Opportunities (ESOO) provides the latest 10-year outlook for reliability in the National Electricity Market (NEM). In the latest episode of AEMO On Air, we sit down with AEMO’s Group Manager – Forecasting, Andrew Turley, to unpack what the report tells us about Australia’s energy future. Read the full 2026 NEM ESOO. Download the NEM ESOO explainer. Read the media release. Interviewer: Jonathon Geddes 🎧 Mentioned throughout this episode is our previous AEMO On Air conversation around data centres. You can catch up on that episode here. LinkedIn | X | Facebook

  3. Jul 9

    Powering the digital future: Preparing for the rise of data centers

    Send us Fan Mail As artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital services continue to grow, data centres are becoming an increasingly important part of Australia's electricity demand profile. In this episode of AEMO On Air, Margarida Pimentel, AEMO's Group Manager Onboarding and Connections, discusses what data centres are, how they connect to the power system, and what their growth could mean for electricity demand, reliability, system security and investment in new generation and storage. The episode explores AEMO's role in supporting the efficient integration of data centres through connections, forecasting, technical standards and collaboration across industry. It also examines the increasingly important role data centres could play in the energy transition. As Margarida explains, while data centres are often discussed as large energy users, they also have the potential to support new investment in generation and storage and help absorb excess rooftop solar generation during the middle of the day. Interviewer: Catie Low   We’ve brought together AEMO’s latest work, insights, and expert perspectives on data centres. Read more here: www.aemo.com.au/newsroom/news-updates/digital-demand-surge     🎧 Mentioned throughout this episode are several previous AEMO On Air conversations. You can catch up on those episodes here: www.aemo.com.au/newsroom/aemo-on-air-podcast      LinkedIn | X | Facebook

  4. Jul 1

    The 2026 ISP: Mapping Australia's energy future

    Send us Fan Mail Following the release of AEMO's 2026 Integrated System Plan (ISP), AEMO CEO Daniel Westerman joins AEMO On Air to discuss the roadmap shaping Australia's energy future as electricity consumption continues to grow through electrification and ageing coal-fired power stations progressively retire. In this episode, Daniel explains why the ISP continues to identify renewables, connected to networks, firmed by storage and backed by gas, as the lowest-cost pathway to maintaining a secure and reliable power system, while meeting government policy. He also explores how consumer energy resources are influencing long-term planning. Hear how the ISP has evolved, what it means for industry, governments and consumers, and why timely investment across the whole energy system is critical to delivering reliable, low-cost electricity for Australians. Read the full ISP report Download the ISP explainer and view the ISP infographic Access all the ISP appendices and associated supporting materials: AEMO | 2026 Integrated System Plan (ISP) Interviewer: Catie Low  LinkedIn | X | Facebook

  5. Jun 22

    2026 ISP Explained: Inside the long-term roadmap for the NEM

    Send us Fan Mail What is the Integrated System Plan and why does it matter?  With the upcoming release of the 2026 Integrated System Plan (ISP) this week, our latest AEMO On Air podcast episode goes behind the scenes of the long-term roadmap for the National Electricity Market with AEMO Group Manager System Planning, Eli Pack.  Eli explains how the ISP is developed, who uses it, and how input from around 2,000 stakeholders across industry, governments, consumer groups and market bodies helps shape the plan. The conversation also explores the expanding scope of the ISP and its role in supporting a reliable, secure and low-cost energy system as Australia's energy transition continues.  While many Australians may never read the ISP itself, as Eli notes, most people will experience the outcomes it delivers.    Interviewer: Catie Low  LinkedIn | X | Facebook

  6. Jun 2

    Future grid: The next generation driving Australia’s energy transition

    Send us Fan Mail What does it take to solve the biggest challenges facing Australia’s energy transition? In this episode, we sit down with two rising stars from the Zema Energy Studies Scholarship program – Madeleine Neaves and Frederick Madriaga – to explore the research helping shape Australia’s future energy systems. Madeleine, a Monash University Engineering PhD candidate, is researching how future grids maintain stability and inertia in power systems increasingly powered by inverter-based technologies like batteries and renewables. Frederick is developing AI-driven approaches to improve resilience, visibility and decision-making across increasingly decentralised and digital electricity networks. Delivered in partnership between the AEMO and Monash University, the Zema Energy Studies Scholarship program honours AEMO’s inaugural CEO, the late Matt Zema, and supports emerging researchers working on the future of Australia’s energy systems. This year marks seven years since the scholarship was established, with 10 scholars currently undertaking PhDs and the program expected to celebrate its first graduates in 2026. Learn more about the Zema Energy Studies Scholarship: www.aemo.com.au/about/zema-energy-studies-scholarship Information about applications to the Zema Energy Studies Scholarship: www.monash.edu/energy-institute/students/scholarships/zema-energy-studies-scholarship    Interviewer: Catie Low LinkedIn | X | Facebook

  7. May 6

    Q1 2026 QED: batteries, data centres and a system in transition

    Send us Fan Mail Batteries are now playing a central role in Australia’s electricity system, and the latest data shows just how quickly that shift is happening. In this episode of AEMO On Air, Kerry Galloway, AEMO’s Manager of Market Insights unpacks the key details of the Q1 2026 Quarterly Energy Dynamics (QED) report. In the National Electricity Market (NEM), more than 4,400 MW of new battery capacity has been added in the past year, which has helped shift three times the volume of renewable energy from daytime into the evening peak, competing against coal and gas. Batteries set prices for around a third of the times and contributed to a 12% year-on-year drop in wholesale electricity prices. The episode also explores the quarter’s record renewable output, with renewables supplying 46.5% of NEM generation, while emerging demand continues to build with 11 large-scale data centre projects (5.4 GW) progressing through connections. Explore the full QED for more insights: https://bit.ly/4umi74K Interviewer: Catie Low LinkedIn | X | Facebook

  8. Apr 30

    Global issues, local lessons: AEMO’s role as a system operator on the world stage

    Send us Fan Mail The energy transition is global and so are the challenges. Across the world, system operators are grappling with the same fundamental shifts, rapid growth in renewables, decentralised generation and increasingly complex system dynamics. In our latest AEMO On Air episode, we’re joined by Luke Robinson, Group Manager – System Modelling to explore how global collaboration is helping system operators navigate one of the most complex transformations in modern energy systems. As a founding member of the International System Operators Network (ISON), AEMO is working alongside peers across the US and Europe to tackle shared challenges, from integrating high levels of inverter-based resources to AI and data centres and rethinking the control room of the future. And while we are helping solve global issues, the world is watching Australia and what we are doing, particularly our leadership in rooftop solar and consumer energy resources. Find out more about ISON and AEMO here: www.aemo.com.au/initiatives/major-programs/international-system-operator-collaboration Read more about ISON: www.isonetwork.org/ Interviewer: Catie Low LinkedIn | X | Facebook

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About

A podcast about all things energy, brought to you by the Australian Energy Market Operator.

Information

  • Creator
    Australian Energy Market Operator
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    43
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 AEMO
  • Show Website
    AEMO On Air

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