Snowy Hydro head Paul Broad has “offered his resignation”. 

Mr Broad’s resignation was announced in a statement from the government-owned enterprise, and comes amid a $5 billion revamp of the iconic infrastructure project. 

Mr Broad has led Snowy Hydro since 2013 and was a key player in the plan to revamp the government-owned, clean energy asset to use renewables-fuelled pumped hydro to create dispatchable power to offset peak demands - known as Snowy 2.0. 

“Snowy 2.0 is a nation-defining and world-leading infrastructure project. It will underpin the transition to a decarbonised National Electricity Market and now employs more than 2,000 people, generating huge economic uplift in the Snowy Mountains,” the company said in a statement.

“Under Paul’s leadership, the first Snowy Hydro renewable energy procurement program began in 2018 and has grown to encompass 12 contracts with wind and solar projects totalling 1.3 gigawatts of energy generation.

“The Snowy Board will now commence a process to identify new leadership. Roger Whitby, Chief Operating Officer, will lead the organisation on an interim basis, with support from Paul to facilitate a smooth transition.”

In subsequent interviews, Mr Broad said issues with Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen meant he had to step aside.

“Issues have arisen obviously between what I think of the world and what Chris Bowen Minister for Energy thinks of the world and, rather than create a drama, I resigned,” Mr Broad said.

“I didn't want to put the company in a position where we were seen to be fighting at every level with whatever the government may or may not want to do.”

Much of the tension reportedly surrounded a gas-fired power plant being built at Kurri Kurri in the NSW Hunter Valley, which is due to start operating next year.

The facility should provide back-up power when the state's electricity grid becomes overloaded and coal fired stations are phased out.

It will run on a combination of green hydrogen and gas, but during the election campaign, Labor promised to have the plant converted to use green hydrogen.

“While hydrogen is a wonderful opportunity, it is many, many years away from being commercial,” Mr Broad said.

“To think you can have hydrogen running into Kurri Kurri when there is no hydrogen being produced in Newcastle just doesn't make any sense.”

Mr Broad had also asserted that more gas-fired power stations should be built in the Hunter to bridge the gap to renewables - an uncomfortable idea for Labor and environmentalists. 

“The reality is Liddell Power Station is closing, you need more gas-fired power stations, you need lots more of them,” Mr Broad said.