NSW Residents Urged Not to Use Washing Machines Amid Blackout Fears

Members of the public are seen with the Sydney Opera House in the background in Sydney, Australia on Nov. 26, 2024. AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi

Labor Premier Chris Minns has called for residents in Australia’s most populous state to hold off using dishwashers and washing machines amid fears it could cause a blackout.

The power grid is under significant pressure as New South Wales (NSW) endures a heatwave, leading to energy regulators issuing repeated warnings of blackouts

“Solar production in the energy market starts to come off from 3 p.m. at exactly the same time as people return home from work,” Minns told reporters on Nov. 27.

“So if you cannot run your pool filter, not run your dishwasher, not run your washing machine this afternoon between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. you'll help the grid.”

Minns explained that Sydney’s current power supplies relied heavily on solar during peak times, but was hopeful of improvements in the future.

“We are in a transition period. And right now, the reason lights are on and people can use air conditioning—and we’ve got an opportunity to explain where we are at in terms of the 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. crunch time—is because solar is producing so much energy for the grid as it currently stands,” Minns said.

“In the years ahead, with battery technology and a bigger uptake of renewables, that will increase in time. But two things are happening. The climate’s changing, and we are obviously in a transition when it comes to energy.”

Sydney is forecast to hit a maximum 34 degrees Celsius on Nov. 27,  equivalent to 93.2 Fahrenheit, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, at the time of writing.

However, Penrith in western Sydney is expected to reach 39 degrees at 2.49 p.m.

The state of NSW currently has 13,500 megawatts of renewable energy generation capacity, making up 53 percent of total capacity in the state.

AEMO Issues Warning on Power Station Availability

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), responsible for managing electricity and gas markets across the country, warned of low electricity reserves in NSW and power stations being offline.

“AEMO is working with industry to manage electricity reliability during high-demand, heatwave conditions in New South Wales with major power stations unavailable due to forced and planned outages,” the AEMO said.

“We have flagged this risk to industry through market notices (lack of reserve) urging all available generation to return to service and restore all available powerlines across the grid to meet consumers’ electricity needs.”

The AEMO said they were looking to procure more reserves to best manage low electricity supply forecast in the afternoon and early evening on Nov. 27.

“We’re closely monitoring the situation and will keep stakeholders informed,” the AEMO said.

In response, Graham Young, of the Australian Institute of Progress criticised the reliability of the grid.

“AEMO reveals plan for targeted blackouts (aka demand management) because NSW government has eliminated too many coal-fired power stations. Welcome to the third world,” he wrote on X.

The federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen was pressed on the issue in Question Time.

“AEMO has advised me that there are enough reserves for NSW this afternoon,” he said.