New board member for SEC sets industry up for bright future

Clean energy leader Ria O’Hehir has been appointed to the board of the Smart Energy Council in  recognition of her contribution to the industry.  

Ms O’Hehir is CEO of Greenbank, Australia’s leading trader of environmental certificates, such as  STCs and VEECs, and has worked in the clean energy industry for over 17 years. She became CEO in  2020.  

Since she started her career with Greenbank, the company along with its partners, have worked to  aggregate and trade certificates which have abated approximately 40 million tonnes of  carbon (CO2e), and has been a key backer of the Smart Energy Council (SEC) and its campaigns,  including Save Solar in 2014.  

CEO of the SEC John Grimes said Ms O’Hehir’s appointment will further strengthen the organisation as it goes into a key federal election year: 

“We are delighted to have Ria joining the board. She brings a wealth of experience to our team, and  has played a pivotal role is Australia’s renewables transition.  

“Her knowledge will help guide the SEC as we move towards a federal election that is going to be  critical for our industry. We’ll be campaigning hard in the coming months to get our politicians to  support the renewable sector, which is reducing Australia’s emissions, boosting our economy and  creating thousands of jobs.” 

Commenting on her appointment, Ms O’Hehir said:  

“Having worked in solar and renewables for the last 17 years, it’s a thrill to receive the opportunity  to use my experience for the benefit of the industry with this role on the board of the Smart Energy  Council.  

“Looking toward the future, I’m excited to play an even larger role in the energy transition, as the  Smart Energy Council gears up to have its biggest year yet in 2022 – with new hydrogen projects,  election campaigns, and advocacy work at the forefront of the fight for renewables.” 

Ms O’Hehir joins some of the renewable industry’s most influential advocates on the SEC board.

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