South Australia Carbon Intensity

South Australia Grid Carbon Intensity

South Australia has the lowest average grid carbon intensity in the NEM, driven by the highest penetration of wind and solar generation of any region. The state regularly achieves periods where renewable generation exceeds total demand, pushing grid intensity close to or at zero — often accompanied by negative wholesale electricity prices.

When renewable output drops, South Australia relies on gas-fired peaking plants and imports from Victoria via the Heywood interconnector. During these periods, grid intensity can rise rapidly to 0.4–0.6 tCO₂/MWh, creating significant variation in the emission profile throughout the day.

For sustainability teams, South Australia's volatile intensity profile makes time-matched emissions tracking particularly valuable. Organisations with flexible loads can achieve very low market-based Scope 2 emissions by shifting consumption to periods of high renewable output.