Power jobs cloud in AGL takeover
TECH billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes is vowing to create up to 12,000 new jobs by dramatically accelerating AGL’s switch to renewables, but only 600 positions will be permanent – sobering news for the 2800 workers at the energy giant’s coal-fired power plants in NSW and Victoria.
AGL’s board on Monday rejected the $7.50-a-share takeover offer from the Atlassian co-founder and his bid partner, Canadian investment giant Brookfield. However, Mr Cannon-Brookes (inset) said he was undeterred.
The consortium fronted by the software supremo wants to shut all AGL’s coal-fired generators by 2030 – which he said was 15 years earlier than the company’s current timeline – and replace them with stora g e - b a c k e d wind and solar farms.
Mr Cannon- Brookes said his “aspiration” was to give every coalfired power plant worker the chance to stay on with a green AGL. “We would certainly endeavour to do that,” he said. The consortium planned to create up to 12,000 jobs to build the new renewables projects, many of which would be in the same spots as AGL’s existing power stations to take advantage of their connections to the broader energy system, he said.
“Historically the grid has been built around those thermal assets, there are many wires and transmissions coming in and out of them,” Mr Cannon-Brookes said.
“That creates a huge opportunity to build renewables and other generation assets (plus storage) in those same locations, which should hopefully give some comfort to those people,” he said.
However, a “fact sheet” provided after the interview revealed just 600 roles would be ongoing. The consortium claimed about 1000 people worked at AGL’s coal-fired plants. But AGL said it employed 2800 people at Liddell and Bayswater in NSW, and Loy Yang A in Victoria.
AGL’s board on Monday rejected the $7.50-a-share takeover offer from the Atlassian co-founder and his bid partner, Canadian investment giant Brookfield. However, Mr Cannon-Brookes (inset) said he was undeterred.
The consortium fronted by the software supremo wants to shut all AGL’s coal-fired generators by 2030 – which he said was 15 years earlier than the company’s current timeline – and replace them with stora g e - b a c k e d wind and solar farms.
Mr Cannon- Brookes said his “aspiration” was to give every coalfired power plant worker the chance to stay on with a green AGL. “We would certainly endeavour to do that,” he said. The consortium planned to create up to 12,000 jobs to build the new renewables projects, many of which would be in the same spots as AGL’s existing power stations to take advantage of their connections to the broader energy system, he said.
“Historically the grid has been built around those thermal assets, there are many wires and transmissions coming in and out of them,” Mr Cannon-Brookes said.
“That creates a huge opportunity to build renewables and other generation assets (plus storage) in those same locations, which should hopefully give some comfort to those people,” he said.
However, a “fact sheet” provided after the interview revealed just 600 roles would be ongoing. The consortium claimed about 1000 people worked at AGL’s coal-fired plants. But AGL said it employed 2800 people at Liddell and Bayswater in NSW, and Loy Yang A in Victoria.