According to research conducted by energy expert Dylan McConnell of the University of Melbourne, the start-up of production at the ENGIE-operated Pelican Point Power Station coupled with the closure of the Hazelwood coal station in Victoria meant SA became a bulk exporter rather than a bulk importer of energy.
An article in the Guardian Australia explains that before June, Pelican Point was running just one of its two turbine units intermittently, before a gas deal between ENGIE and Origin enabled the plant to run the first turbine consistently and turn on its second turbine.
Mr McConnell’s research found that since the deal, Pelican Point was producing between two and three times as much electricity.
He also found that interconnector transfers between SA and Victoria switched from mainly importing to mainly exporting around the same time.
Mr McConnell said the increased supply from Pelican Point was the most significant factor in pushing down SA’s energy prices.