The Hunter Jobs Alliance has welcomed Labor's plan to create a $1 billion publicly-owned corporation to keep the lights on as the state makes the transition to clean energy.
The party says it will create an Energy Security Corporation to work with private-sector parties keen to invest in renewable energy assets if it forms government.
The body's role will be to partner with the energy industry on renewable projects, including solutions for energy storage to aid grid stability. These projects could include pumped hydro or community batteries.
The corporation will be funded with $1 billion from the Restart NSW fund, a multibillion-dollar pool created by the government's privatisation of public assets.
"This is a well targeted policy. Investment in energy storage is the biggest hole in the effectiveness of NSW energy policy," Hunter Jobs Alliance coordinator Warrick Jordan said.
"This new corporation looks like it will play a specific role in keeping the energy grid stable for consumers and businesses, and allow us to make the most of the massive expansion of renewables in western NSW."
Mr Jordan said projects needed to store energy, such as pumped hydro, usually had substantial lead times or required scaling up of new technology.
"Providing patient capital to de-risk investment is exactly the type of responsible role governments should be playing. It's worked very well at the national level with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, and this hits a real gap at the state level," he said.
Labor Leader Chris Minns said managing the switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy would be a major challenge for NSW over the coming decade," he said.
"We want the state to be able to invest in solutions that ensure reliability in the system and keeps the lights on and creates new jobs. This is not a band-aid solution. Whilst it will take time for the benefits to be realised, this is a serious, long-term step towards fixing the mess left by the Liberal-National government."
