Power To The People – SEC Up And Running

The Andrews Labor Government is driving down energy bills and emissions by reviving the State Electricity Commission (SEC) – delivering government-owned renewable energy to drive down power bills and put electricity back in the hands of Victorians.

Minister for the State Electricity Commission Lily D’Ambrosio today announced the first steps to bringing back government-owned renewable energy are underway, including the transfer of the SEC to the new Ministry, naming an interim CEO and the creation of an SEC Expert Advisory Panel.

The Labor Government is delivering public ownership of energy resources by reviving the SEC as an active energy market participant to build new renewable energy projects – and the Governor in Council has this week declared the SEC a reorganising body under the State Owned Enterprises Act.

The Government has named Chris Miller as Interim Chief Executive Officer of the SEC, who will work with a special SEC Expert Advisory Panel to revive the Commission under the responsibility of the Minister.

John Bradley, Secretary of the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) and an energy expert in his own right, will chair the Panel, which will include other eminent experts in energy, investment and commercial risk management, industry development, engineering and consumer advocacy.

On behalf of all Victorians, two shares in the SEC will be held by the Treasurer and Premier as a fully state-owned energy company.

Interim CEO Chris Miller was previously Deputy Secretary, Tourism and Events at the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, a senior executive at the Department of Premier and Cabinet, advising the Premier on energy, infrastructure, transport and planning, and held various positions at EnergyAustralia and King & Wood Mallesons.

The SEC will become an energy market proponent under the Labor Government’s 10-year plan to deliver cleaner, cheaper energy, with all profits invested back into the energy system – making sure it’s the Victorian public, not offshore coal companies, who enjoy the returns.

The Government will initially invest $1 billion towards delivering 4.5 gigawatts of power – the equivalent replacement capacity of Loy Yang A – through renewable energy projects.

Renewables will replace coal, and these new ‘power stations’ will be owned by every Victorian, to benefit every Victorian, with the Government holding a controlling interest in these projects.

An investment of $20 million will prepare the SEC for its new role in our energy market, including setting up an office at the GovHub in Morwell and an office in Melbourne.

The SEC will help deliver the Labor Government’s nation-leading renewable energy and emissions targets – hitting 95 per cent renewable energy by 2035 and net zero by 2045, creating 59,000 jobs by 2035 and increasing Gross State Product by about $9.5 billion.

The Labor Government will also deliver a $424 million energy and training package to help workers upskill, with 6,000 positions for apprentices and trainees.

Since Victoria’s energy was privatised, we’ve experienced a chronic shortage of workers in trades. Our SEC will help find and train the next generation of tradespeople: maintenance workers, electricians – but also welders, painters and mechanics. Highly-qualified, highly-paid workers – working not for profit, but for people.

To train these new workers, the Labor Government will establish an SEC Centre of Training Excellence to coordinate and accredit courses in clean energy, connecting with our TAFEs, RTOs, unions and the industry – as well as adding clean energy to our VCE Vocational Major.

Across government schools, the SEC will be at career nights recruiting the workers of the future – and an investment of $116 million will open six new cutting-edge Tech Schools, giving students a head-start in a hands-on profession.

To make sure the workers we’re training are guaranteed a long-term pipeline of work, we’ll institute local content requirements on state-owned and supported renewable energy projects – worth at least $5 billion by 2035.

The Labor Government will also enshrine the SEC in our state’s Constitution in 2023 to prevent a future Liberal government selling off our energy assets ever again – and protecting thousands of jobs for future generations.