Hydro Tasmania has announced the appointment of a new Chair of the Board, after the previous Chair held the position for nine years.
Richard Bolt has worked in both public and private sectors, leading major innovation and reform across industries including energy, resources, agriculture, education, economic development and transport. He was a leading architect of the national energy market’s governance systems.
Hydro Tasmania Chief Executive Officer, Ian Brooksbank, said senior executives look forward to working closely with Mr Bolt over a period of growth for Hydro Tasmania.
“We have a bold vision for the role of hydro energy in powering the Tasmanian economy and in leading the national transition to renewable energy,” Mr Brooksbank said.
“Mr Bolt’s incredible knowledge and track record in the energy sector will be invaluable in charting that course.”
Mr Brooksbank paid tribute to outgoing Chair, Grant Every-Burns, who has been on the Hydro Tasmania Board since 2012 and in the role of Chair since 2014.
“An electrical engineer by trade, Mr Every-Burns knows every corner of the energy industry,” Mr Brooksbank said.
“He steered the company through an enormous shift in the energy sector and his passion for Tasmania as the battery of the nation has put the state in prime position to capitalise on that transition.”
Mr Brooksbank also acknowledged Mr Every-Burns’ calm and steady leadership throughout 2015 and 2016, when the Basslink outage combined with drought posed significant challenges for energy supply in Tasmania.