South Australia Sets New Wind Generation Record Despite Wind Drought
In the final week of June, South Australia experienced a rare wind drought spanning seven years, yet this did not hinder the state from achieving a remarkable milestone in renewable energy. June 2026 marked a new record for wind generation in the renewables-abundant state, with a total output of 730 gigawatt-hours (GWh) — the highest ever recorded for that month.
This achievement aligns with an earlier report from Renew Economy, highlighting that South Australia had recently enjoyed three consecutive days of renewable generation exceeding 100 per cent before facing the worst wind drought in seven years. The significant wind generation throughout the remainder of the month highlights the urgent necessity for enhanced and extended storage facilities within the state as it aims for 100 per cent net renewable energy by 2027.
June Wind Generation Records Across Australia
Moreover, Queensland and New South Wales also celebrated unprecedented wind generation figures in June, outputting 636 GWh and 635 GWh, respectively, as detailed by Rystad senior analyst David Dixon. Notably, at the state level, Victoria led the way in combined utility solar and wind generation, producing 1,369 GWh — comprising 114 GWh from utility-scale solar PV and a significant 1,255 GWh from wind sources.
High Performance from Renewable Assets
In total, large-scale solar and wind facilities collectively generated 4.73 terawatt-hours (TWh) during June 2026, marking an 11 per cent increase from 4.25 TWh recorded in June 2025. South Australia’s wind farms largely contributed to this success, with Neoen Australia’s Goyder South 1 wind farm in the mid-north boasting an impressive capacity factor (CF) of 48.16 per cent. The Hornsdale stage 1 wind farm operated by Atmos Renewables also performed exceptionally well, achieving a CF of 47 per cent.
On the solar front, Queensland’s facilities excelled, led by Pacific Blue Australia’s Haughton Stage 1 solar farm, which achieved an AC CF of 23.1%, followed closely by Metka’s Moura solar farm at 22.5% AC CF, and Sojitz Corporation/ENEOS Group’s Edenvale project, recording 22.4% AC CF.
Electricity Prices and Demand Trends
Despite the impressive generation figures, wholesale electricity spot prices saw variations. According to Dixon, prices averaged below $A90 per megawatt-hour (MWh) across all National Electricity Market (NEM) states, except South Australia where the average spiked to about $A125/MWh, largely attributed to the earlier low wind generation phase. Additionally, across most NEM states, Dixon noted a significant decrease in demand, which he attributes to milder winter temperatures leading to lower heating requirements.
