Industry briefing practice

01 · NUMERICAL DISCIPLINE

Show the unit. Then explain the result.

Enter numbers only, without commas or unit symbols. These are simplified calculations from dated teaching inputs, not investment or operational models.

1. Wholesale unit conversion

Convert A$74/MWh to cents/kWh. This does not turn a wholesale average into a retail tariff.

Your answer (cents/kWh)

2. Forecast energy to average load

Convert the 2035–36 NEM Step Change data-centre forecast of 34 TWh into average MW using an assumed 8,760-hour year. Round to the nearest MW.

Your answer (MW)

3. Battery energy and power

Using Hornsdale's published 150 MW / 193.5 MWh ratings, calculate ideal full-rated-power duration. Ignore losses and operating reserves for this screen.

Your answer (hours)

4. Hydro capacity and annual output

Use the approximate figures from Snowy Hydro’s Scheme webpage (accessed 18 October 2026): 4,100 MW and 4,500 GWh average annual generation. Estimate an equivalent capacity factor for an 8,760-hour year.

Your answer (%)

02 · JUDGEMENT CHECK

Can you spot the unsupported conclusion?

Choose one answer per question. Feedback appears after submission. This practice score is not a qualification or a verified competency assessment.

01A developer needs an initial assessment of capacity at a particular connection point. Where should the physical enquiry start?

The relevant network service provider, with the applicable AEMO and jurisdictional processesThe company's share registrarThe ACCC netback chartThe retailer's marketing page alone

02Which organisation makes national electricity rule changes?

ARENAAEMCA supplier's retail sales teamSnowy Hydro

03Can the WEM price be used as the electricity price for every site in Western Australia?

Yes, all WA sites are in the NEMYes, all WA sites are in the WEMNo: first identify the actual system, location and supply arrangementOnly if the price is expressed in dollars

04The Australian Energy Update was published in September 2026. What must a brief say about its main annual energy statistics?

They measure the final week of September 2026They are a 2026 price forecastThey are live measurementsThe latest annual energy balance in this edition covers FY2024–25

05A proposed 500 MW project appears in a capacity register. What can be concluded?

Its status and expected timing need checking before counting it as available supplyIt delivers 500 MWh every yearIt is already dispatched at full powerIts revenue is guaranteed

06An analyst adds coal used for power generation to the electricity generated from that coal and calls the result primary energy production. What is wrong?

Coal cannot generate electricityThe calculation double counts an energy-conversion chainOnly the currency needs changingNothing, provided both use PJ

07AGL reports underlying EBITDA and statutory NPAT. Which comparison is defensible?

Both are cash remaining after investmentThey are interchangeable profit measuresInspect depreciation, financing, tax and the company's adjustment reconciliationSubtract one company's revenue from another's NPAT

08Woodside's CY2025 group profit is stated in US dollars. What must you do before comparing it with an A$ FY2026 domestic-sector table?

Treat US$ and A$ as equalAssume every asset is in AustraliaIgnore the year-end differenceReconcile currency, reporting period and portfolio boundary, or present it separately

09An electricity reliability report identifies a modelled gap. What should a briefing say?

It is conditional evidence of risk under stated assumptions, not a guaranteed blackoutBlackouts are certain on the publication dateEvery proposed project is now bankableNetwork constraints no longer matter

10What does the ACCC LNG netback series represent?

A compulsory retail tariffAn export-parity benchmark with a defined location and methodologyThe delivered price of every gas contractA guarantee of next year's international price

11A country's annual gas supply exceeds annual consumption. Does this prove a southern customer can obtain gas on a winter peak day?

Yes, annual balance proves peak deliverabilityYes, if the customer has a batteryNo: test location, pipelines, storage, production rates and contractual availabilityNo, because gas cannot be stored

12An ISP pathway includes storage and transmission. What is the next step for a proposed battery investment?

Use the plan as a guaranteed revenue contractSkip connection analysisAssume all regions have the same pricesModel the actual site, operating limits, contracts, costs and downside scenarios

0 / 12 answered

03 · ORIGINAL BRIEFING TASK

Write a recommendation someone can check.

Prepare a 300–500 word note for the manager of a proposed NSW data centre. Do not invent a connection offer, tariff or financing approval. No project-specific commercial inputs have been supplied.

Your brief must answer

What does the national energy balance tell us—and what does it not?
Which organisations and commercial counterparties must be involved?
Which two dated reports support the demand and supply context?
Why is a quarterly wholesale average not a delivered-price quote?
What evidence is missing before proceeding, and what would trigger a review?

A reviewable standard

Accuracy: units, geography and years are explicit.
Evidence: at least two primary links, with dates and table/section names.
Judgement: distinguish fact, forecast and your assumption.
Action: state the next enquiry, responsible party and decision boundary.

Have a colleague or competent practitioner review the memo. This platform does not automatically grade professional judgement.

Your industry brief

Temporary working text: not saved or sent to our server. Export before leaving or refreshing. Do not enter confidential information. 0 / 8,000 characters.

Review prompts after drafting

A sound brief challenges the leap from national exports to a site's price and reliability. It requests a network connection assessment, a load profile, a delivered-supply proposal and a resilience design. It distinguishes a forecast load increase from a committed connection.

A weak brief simply repeats national numbers or treats a planning scenario as a revenue guarantee. Strengthen it by naming an alternative, a missing input and the evidence that would change your recommendation.

Ready for a project with interval data?

Apply the same reasoning to import limits, PPA exposure and backup duration.

Open the data-centre project