A former ACT environment minister will take a top role at Victoria's green power body. 

Simon Corbell has been appointed chair of Victoria's rebooted State Electricity Commission (SEC). 

Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio says Corbell's “considerable experience” in renewable energy policy, regulation, and investment will help guide the SEC in its mission to facilitate the delivery of 4.5 gigawatts of new renewable electricity generation and storage.

During the 2010s, Corbell spearheaded the ACT’s transition to 100 per cent net renewables, establishing a framework for renewable energy auctions that significantly benefited the solar and wind sectors. 

These initiatives came at a crucial time when other national and state policies were being scaled back, and are considered life-saving for the industry.

As the former CEO of the Clean Energy Investor Group, Corbell has been a vocal advocate for addressing key barriers to renewable energy investment. 

At the 2024 Smart Energy Conference in Sydney, he highlighted the importance of capital allocation in the renewable sector: 

“There is an enormous, gargantuan pool of capital,” he said. 

“But capital will go to where it can get the best returns. Capital will deploy where the risks are lower and the returns are therefore more predictable and more certain.”

In his new role, Corbell will also assist Victoria in preparing for the closure of its last three coal plants over the next decade. 

He says the SEC's strategic use of state capital will be pivotal, as will strong partnerships with the private sector, but that the body needs to retain “social licence and community engagement” to meet the state's ambitious 95 per cent renewable target by 2035.