Around 750 NSW coal miners could lose their jobs when the Eraring power station in the NSW Hunter region closes in 2025.
The number of mine workers who stand to be impacted by the closure was revealed in budget estimates on Wednesday by Mining, Exploration and Geoscience Deputy Secretary Georgina Beattie.
"It's around 750 coal mining jobs that may be impacted as a result of the closure," Ms Beattie said.
Ms Beattie made note of the number after Deputy Premier Paul Toole said he could not recall how many workers stood to lose their jobs at the Lake Macquarie plant.
The deputy premier said he had met with Australian mining company Centennial Coal to discuss Eraring's workforce and infrastructure.
Origin Energy, which runs the black coal-fired power plant, which is the largest in the country, announced in February it intended to close the facility seven years early in August 2025.
Ms Beattie said Centennial Coal was considering "pivoting" some of the Eraring operations towards an export market.
"There are conversations around using some of the existing assets and infrastructure already in place as well," Mr Toole said.
The deputy premier said the dialogue was in its "very early days".
"I've certainly had discussions with the treasurer ... that this is a large employer in regional NSW and that we need to be looking at what the future is as we move away from those jobs and how we can ensure those communities can be given jobs for those workers," Mr Toole said.
"We don't want to see them packing up and leaving without being given an opportunity for what that industry might look like in that area.
"When I talk about the importance of mining, if you actually close the mine down overnight, it does have a huge economic impact.
"Not only in that local town or community, but right across the region."
