The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has today released its 2025 Enhanced Locational Information (ELI) report, developed to provide a collection of key information for each region of the National Electricity Market (NEM) to inform energy investment and policy.
The ELI report, a key deliverable of the Energy Security Board reforms, is produced using a broad range of AEMO's planning, forecasting and operational reports, as well as broader industry published information from transmission network owners and governments.
AEMO’s Executive General Manager of System Design, Merryn York, said building a reliable and efficient electricity system depends on investing in the right places.
“Opportunities exist in all NEM regions for renewable and firming projects to deliver energy, capacity, and network support services,” Ms York said.
“This report presents key locational data to help investors understand where their projects are most likely to succeed, and where challenges, such as network congestion, curtailment, or energy losses, may arise.
“Not all locations are equal, and geographic network conditions must be a critical part of investment decisions,” she said.
Today, there are approximately 20 gigawatts (GW) of projects currently at the application to connect stage, as well as the 300 GW of proposed future projects under consideration by developers using a range of technical and economic considerations to identify the most viable project locations.
To support informed planning, AEMO has consulted with stakeholders and adopted feedback, such as the inclusion of projections of future curtailment for hypothetical 300-megawatt projects in each location, under both near-term (2026-2028) and medium-term (2030-2035) outlooks.
The network hosting capacity analysis focuses on the network’s physical capability, assuming adequate demand or market opportunity exists.
While the ELI report brings together a wide range of locational signals to support early-stage decision-making, it is not a substitute for detailed project design, system studies, or financial modelling.
AEMO invites stakeholder feedback on the 2025 ELI report and welcomes suggestions for improvement or additional data sources to include in future editions. Written submissions can be sent to planning@aemo.com.au by 1 August 2025.
AEMO will also host a webinar on 10am to 11am (AEST) Wednesday 23 July 2025. Click here to register.
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