Matt Kean named head of Climate Change Authority

The former NSW energy minister signals he won’t look at nuclear as part of the country’s energy mix as the PM appoints him chair of the Climate Change Authority.

Anthony Albanese has announced former NSW energy minister and Liberal MP, Matt Kean, as the new head of the Climate Change Authority.

Mr Kean announced his retirement earlier this month after 13 years in NSW parliament, ruling out a run as a federal Liberal candidate.

The Prime Minister said Mr Kean was an “outstanding appointment” to chair of the Climate Change Authority.

“Matt Kean is uniquely qualified to lead the Climate Change Authority and I am so pleased that he has accepted the government’s invitation to take up the vacancy which is there due to the resignation of Grant King,” he said.

“I worked very closely with Mr Kean when we introduced … our energy price relief plan in partnership with the New South Wales state government and other state governments as well.

“Mr Kean understands the opportunity that the transition to clean energy represents for our nation … and he also understands the folly that walking away from the renewables transition represents.”

Mr Kean said despite initially looking to move into the private sector, he could not turn down the opportunity of Climate Change Authority chair.

“The Climate Change Authority has an important role to play in providing independent advice to the government of the day based on facts, science, evidence, engineering and economics,” he said.

“I intend to follow that tradition and continue to carry myself as I did as the New South Wales energy and environment minister, the Treasurer of New South Wales who oversaw the $115bn budget, and that’s to take a pragmatic approach to ensuring that we deliver for families, the economy and protect the environment and build bipartisan consensus where possible.”

Energy Minister Chris Bowen said he could think of no better replacement to Mr King than Mr Kean.

“The role that he has played as energy minister in the most populous state in the country, knowing that the opportunities to seize renewables (puts) pressures on bills and reduces emissions (and) creates jobs … across New South Wales but of course across the country,” he said.

Mr Kean signalled he will not be looking at nuclear as part of the country’s energy mix.

“In 2019 … I was appointed as Energy Minister by Gladys Berejiklian and I was told the first day on the job that in the next decade … the state’s coal-fired power stations would come to an end and we needed a mechanism to replace that capacity,” he said.

“We looked at all options. Including nuclear … The advice that I received at the time which was most compelling was from the chief scientist of New South Wales … his advice to me was to bring nuclear into the system it would take far too long and would be far too expensive for New South Wales.”

Mr Kean said his new job was “to advise the government based on evidence”.

“The latest scientific engineering and economic advice that has looked at these matters (of nuclear energy) … from the CSIRO, they can very clearly say that the cheapest way to transition our electricity system is to move towards renewables backed up by firming and storage,” he said.

“That is what the CSIRO says, that is the evidence available to us. I’m not aware of anything different.”

Anthony Albanese “there are just questions to be answered” by the Coalition on its nuclear plan.

“(Labor) has a real plan, and what Peter Dutton has done is applied for denial and delay which is what they did for 10 years,” he said.

Mr Bowen confirmed he had recommended to Mr Albanese and the cabinet to appoint Mr Kean as chair of the Climate Change Authority because “he was best for the job”.