Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for the State Electricity Commission (SEC) Lily D’Ambrosio announced on Tuesday a panel of six energy experts and business leaders to advise the government on reviving the SEC.
The Expert Advisory Panel will guide the SEC’s work to ensure that Victorians reap the full benefits of public energy ownership, including lower power prices, faster investment in renewable energy, storage, and lower emissions.
The SEC panel will be chaired by John Bradley, secretary of the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.
Other members of the group will also include Audrey Zibelman, Andy Penn, Anna Skarbek, Alan Finkel and Jo Benvenuti, alongside Interim SEC CEO Chris Miller.
In particular, the Labor Government will initially invest $1 billion towards delivering 4.5 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2035.
In the first half of this year, the SEC will begin market research for its first investment, engaging with industry, unions, and training providers through a skills and workforce forum.
The commission will then assist in the creation of over 59,000 new jobs in the construction, maintenance, and operation of clean energy assets.
A guaranteed 10 per cent, or 6,000 of those jobs will be apprenticeships and traineeships, providing secure jobs for young Victorians while also building the workforce required by the government-owned energy sector.
“We promised we wouldn’t waste a moment setting up the SEC to put power back in Victorians’ hands, and we’re getting on with it – with our Expert Panel up and running to make sure we deliver cheap, clean energy for Victorians,” said Premier Daniel Andrews.
