AEMC chief quits market rule maker to take up new role at Energy Queensland

The Australian Energy Market Commission is on the hunt for a new CEO, following the announcement that current chief of the market rule maker, Benn Barr, will be quitting the role – and the Commission – next month.

Barr said on Thursday that his last day at the AEMC will be March 17, but that he will “step back from all Commission policy deliberations effective immediately,” ahead of taking on a new role at Energy Queensland.

Due to the fact that Energy Queensland is a market participant, Barr is also required to take a two-month break between leaving the AEMC and starting at the state-owned electricity company as the executive general manager of regulation, strategy and risk.

Barr’s departure brings an end to five years as chief executive of what he describes as a “brilliant organisation,” charged with delivering long-term benefits for energy consumers.   

Barr took on the role at the Commission at a critical time in the Australian energy market transition, with governments and market participants pursuing a slew of fundamental reforms to reshape the market around distributed renewable energy.

Among the changes ushered through on Barr’s watch include the addition of an emissions reduction objective to the AEMC’s rule-making and review processes, which has been described as the most important reform to the Australian energy market in decades.

Barr says the Commission will run an internal process for an acting CEO before running an external search process for the new permanent chief.

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