Jackie Trad has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Clean Energy Council (CEC), taking the reins at a critical time for Australia’s renewable energy sector.
Trad, a former Deputy Premier and Treasurer of Queensland, was instrumental in shaping the state’s energy transition. Her record includes establishing CleanCo, the state-owned renewable energy company, and designing policies underpinning Queensland’s renewable energy and emissions reduction targets.
The CEC said her appointment followed an extensive executive search.
“The Board welcomes Jackie’s addition to the Clean Energy Council who will bring sophistication and focus to the organisation’s efforts as we deliver the new energy system that will power Australia into the future,” said Chair Ross Rolfe AO.
“Jackie brings a wealth of experience in building consensus across a wide group of stakeholders and a deep understanding of policy development and design.”
Trad’s background extends beyond energy policy. She oversaw reforms to Queensland’s mining rehabilitation framework, including the creation of a financial assurance scheme to guarantee remediation costs. The process required negotiating with environmental groups, resources companies and regional communities to secure agreement on a new regulatory model.
With more than three decades in public policy, government and advocacy, Trad is expected to bring both political and technical weight to the CEC’s lobbying efforts.
Her leadership will focus on steering Australia’s clean energy transition through an era of policy reform and heightened delivery challenges, including large-scale renewable deployment, grid integration and firming capacity.
“I am incredibly excited to be part of the Clean Energy Council – the leading voice for the companies and organisations delivering the clean energy infrastructure, generation and firming for Australia’s clean energy future,” Trad said.
“As someone with a long-standing commitment to action on climate change, I know we are now in an important period of delivery, where policy reform and impactful advocacy, across Governments and within communities, is critical and necessary to achieve a successful jobs and energy transition for Australians.”
Rolfe added that Trad was committed to “delivering a smooth and just transition to Australia’s energy system to ensure that we maximise the benefits of the transition and minimise the adverse impacts on Australian consumers and communities.”